


All Of Me

by Unknown_diva



Category: The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Autism, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hospitalization, Hospitals, Hurt Tony Stark, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mpreg, Pain, Poor Tony, Seizures, Sick Character, Sick Tony Stark, Steadily gets not Steve friendly, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, but then Steve redeems himself
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-15
Updated: 2020-12-12
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:41:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 20,744
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26471311
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Unknown_diva/pseuds/Unknown_diva
Summary: Tony discovers he is pregnant and Steve is ecstatic. But with Tony's preexisting conditions, he doesn't know if he'll make it to see his child. Tony must juggle a difficult pregnancy and hiding his pain from Steve's baby fever. Eventually, Tony will learn it takes two to tango.
Relationships: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark, Tony Stark & Avengers Team
Comments: 79
Kudos: 230





	1. Chapter 1

“Son of a gun,” Steve smiles, his eyes glued to his husband who tumbles through the air.

“He’s not slowing down,” Thor observes, swinging his hammer. 

The team stare in shock as their teammate plummets to his death. 

Suddenly, the Hulk jumps in the air, grabbing Tony with an arm around his chest and bringing him to the ground. 

Steve frowns when his husband doesn’t move. He rips off the faceplate to see lax eyes and the beginning of bruises staining his cheeks. 

“Tony?” Steve rubs his thumb across his cheek.

Tony doesn’t stir. 

Thor leans down. “His breathing does not sound normal for a Midgardian.”

Steve jumps, “What?!” Focusing on his husband’s breathing with his enhanced ears allows him to hear the slight wheeze gracing every exhale. He looks down and sees the Arc Reactor flickering every few seconds. 

Suddenly a shirtless and haggard looking Bruce moves them out of the way. “Shit, Tony?” Bruce asks frantically, checking unconscious man’s eyes. 

“Maybe we should shake him?” Thor asks. 

“No!” Bruce almost yells, “He could have a brain injury.”

“Brain injury?!” Steve freaks. 

“Just call an ambulance!” Bruce orders, frantically trying to release Tony from the suit. He feels for the emergency releases at the joints but waits to take the pieces off of him until the paramedics arrive. 

Steve moves so that he is sitting under Tony’s head to keep it in place. He whispers in Tony’s ear as he rubs his husband’s face softly. 

Not even five minutes later four paramedics step out the ambulance with supplies and a backboard. They try to get Steve to move but after several tries they leave him be so they can put their focus on Tony. 

Steve watches silently as they shove an oxygen mask over Tony’s face and start stripping off his armour to reveal the numerous dark bruises that look like splattered paint. By the time Tony is wearing a neck brace and they are sliding a board under him, Steve is crying. 

`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````

“Did you know you were pregnant, Mr. Stark?” Is what Tony wakes up to.

“What?” Tony slurs, wiping the sleep out of his eyes. 

Without seeing it, he knows he is in the Stark Tower Hospital wing. The sterile smell and the pacing of doctors outside the door alerts him he is in the very place he tries extremely hard to avoid. 

“Why would you go on a mission, nonetheless one where you had to carry a BOMB on your back, if you were pregnant?” Tony recognizes the angry voice of Helen Cho. 

“I didn’t-What?” Tony moves to sit up on his elbows but collapses back when fire shoots through his chest. 

“Mr.Stark, you are 4 weeks pregnant,” Dr.Cho frowns. 

“Wait, how- when- who-” Tony stutters, putting his hands over his face. 

Dr. Cho takes pity on him and sighs, “Would you like me to call Steve? He just went to the penthouse to grab some clothes for you both.”

Tony only nods. 

Not even a minute later the door bursts open. 

“Is-is everything okay? Is Tony-” Steve shouts frantically.

“I’m fine, Steve,” Tony sighs. 

Steve just frowns and looks over at Dr.Cho.

“Can I tell him?” Helen asks Tony.

Tony nods, fisting with the high-count hospital sheets. 

“Tony is pregnant,” Helen smiles. 

“What! Tony this is great news!” Steve pulls Tony into his arms but frowns and pulls back when he doesn’t feel familiar arms hug him back. 

“Captain, I have to be honest, I don’t believe pregnancy would be best for Tony’s health,” Dr.Cho interrupts.

“His health? What do you mean?” Steve’s face pales with the overwhelming amount of emotion. 

“Well you know about the arc reactor, which takes up a large amount of space in his chest and reduces his lung function. This will cause complications as the baby grows and shifts, not just to Tony but the baby as well. Then, presuming you are the father, there is a high chance the baby might have the same serum you have in your blood. The effects of being born with the serum are unknown. And I shouldn’t even have to mention Tony’s...lifestyle being a problem.” 

At each word Steve grew more and more depressed. 

“But Helen, we can make adjustments, keep a close eye on him-”

“I’m right here you know!” Tony interrupts.

“You know how hard it is for a man to get pregnant. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity,” Steve pleads. 

Helen takes off her glasses and lets out a breath. “I am willing to help you guys through it, but it is ultimately Tony’s decision.”

Steve looks at Tony who is still staring holes into the sheets. 

“Tony...do you?” Steve asks softly. 

“I don’t- I don’t know. I don’t know. I just.” Tony looks out the window. The birds were particularly loud this afternoon and the clouds were spread across the sky like clumps of glue. “I never thought about having kids. Everyone knows how I am- who I am, I don’t think i’d be a good father.” 

“Listen baby,” Steve lifts Tony’s chin so he can stare into his eyes, “No one is perfect. Mistakes make us human. You are the most smart, loving, and caring person I know so I know you will be a great father. You aren’t on your own, we’d do this together.” Steve presses a kiss against his forehead. 

Tony melts at the touch and takes a few moments to stare into the baby blue eyes in front of him. Finally, Tony nods. 

“Okay then,” Dr. Cho stands up from where she was typing on the computer. “I just went through all your current medications and lucky for you, all of them are safe for pregnancy, so continue with the same pills with the same dosage.”

“Wait,” Steve asks, “Why did Tony pass out at the battle? He was even breathing funny.”

“We believe that was due to either his previous injuries during the battle or from when the Hulk slammed into him. We did a scan and two of his ribs are cracked and he also has a mild concussion. Other than that he should be fine. Take it easy until we know exactly what effect the baby will have on your body.” 

Tony nods. “Then can I go now?” He whines. 

Dr. Cho laughs, “Yes, but you are on bedrest for the rest of the day.”

Tony groans dramatically. He slowly slides his feet off the bed as Steve reaches down to put on his shoes. 

Helen leaves just as the wheelchair arrives. “Congratulations guys, see you in three weeks.”

Steve helps Tony shuffle off the bed as he holds his ribs and helps him sit in the chair. Steve starts wheeling him to the elevator.

Without Tony looking at him Steve vibrates with excitement- They were having a baby. 

``````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````

The elevators open up to the common floor and the couple is immediately confronted with five anxious superheros. 

“Is everything okay?”  
“What happened?”  
“Should you be leaving the hospital so early?”  
“What did the doctor say?” 

Steve just maneuvered Tony towards the couch while they continued to throw questions. Finally at Steve’s “Enough!” They all went quiet.

“Tony will tell you if he wants, but don’t pressure him.” Steve sits down on the big chair before pulling Tony to sit on his lap. 

Everyone takes a seat and goes quiet. For a few seconds just the friction of Steve rubbing Tony’s stomach could be heard. 

“I’m pregnant,” Tony lets out in a breath. 

“What?!” The avengers all gasp simultaneously. 

Tony and Steve spend the next half hour answering questions and explaining before Tony’s eyes start drooping and Steve decides to bring him to bed. 

``````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````  
It was 3am. The whole tower was silent, only the sounds of taxis blearing bled through the wall every few minutes. It had been several days since they revealed the pregnancy to the tower’s inhabitants. While Tony was still weary at the thought of becoming a father, Steve was only growing more in love of the idea each day. The only downside was the pressure it was putting on Tony and his health. Since they were told the news it had become obvious the pregnancy was taking its toll on Tony. He was sleeping way more than usual and he was constantly aching in pain. 

Suddenly, Steve is awoken from his slumber. It is not until he notices the painful moaning sound he understands why. 

Steve follows the moaning to the other side of the bed where Tony lay. Still sleeping, Tony was shifting uncomfortably and kicking his legs restlessly. Steve gently rubbed Tony’s shoulder. 

“Tony, baby, are you okay?” He whispered softly. 

Tony whined pitifully. Curling into Steve more. 

“What is it baby?” 

“M’ back and m’legs,” Tony moaned. There was a constant pulsing in his upper-back that prevented him from getting comfortable. 

Steve’s eyes softened and he moved to help Tony lay on his side. He used a gentle touch to massage Tony’s back in hopes to relieving pain. 

Tony tried to resist the tears that threatened to fall when he was forced to tell Steve his touch was only making it worse. Tony swung his legs over the side of the bed in an effort to make it to the bathroom to pee. The fetus inside him sits on his bladder 24/7 and his frequent need to pee was just another thing on his list of pregnancy woes. 

Steve came behind him when his swollen ankles threatened to collapse. Tony painstakingly dragged his large ankles and throbbing back to the en suite next to their King bed with Steve’s large hands holding him up. 

Steve left to the kitchen when Tony made it to the bathroom. He raided the cabinets for some heat packs and cool compresses. 

Tony was having trouble standing in the bathroom on his aching feet. He could feel the tiredness in his bones and the glance he got while he walked past the mirror showed he looked like death. While Steve was happy about the pregnancy, Tony felt a bit less excited- he could feel the strain on himself and he hoped he could make it through this, hopefully with the possibility of resuming his job as Iron Man as well. 

Tony frowned at the pain he experienced while he peed the slightly pink color of his urine. Tony sighed, just another thing he would hide from Steve’s baby fever. Putting back on his sleep pants, Tony hobbled back over to the bed hoping to feel better in the morning.

Steve returned to see Tony laying on top of the covers resting more peacefully before his bathroom adventure. Quietly, Steve laid the heating pad onto Tony’s back, smiling as Tony’s body melted in comfort. Steve massaged his husband’s swollen ankles for a few minutes before laying down the cool compresses on them. Snuggling close, he wrapped Tony in his arms and fell back into a restful sleep.


	2. Morning Sickness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony's morning sickness is getting out of control.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoy, a lot of angst is coming up!

Tony wiped his mouth with a paper towel before stumbling up to rinse out his mouth. He spent the better part of the morning throwing up in the toilet due to morning sickness. He tried to be quiet, and thankfully, Steve stayed asleep after the morning escapade they had. 

After leaving the bathroom, Tony decided to go downstairs to his workshop. He had a lot to think about and he wanted to be alone. 

He passes Bruce who was making breakfast and silently makes his way to the elevator. 

As soon as he gets downstairs he leans onto the wall out of breath. 

“Jarvis, open the-” Tony starts, panting. 

In a quick moment, Tony is carrying his tired body to the bathroom as his stomach rebels. Collapsing in front of the toilet, he begins heaving everything he’s eaten for the past week. He is given no time to breathe as his body keeps violently spewing. For several minutes he keeps vomiting until he is left dry heaving over the toilet. Panting, still trying to gain a breath, he collapses to the floor. His bones are stiff while throbbing with pain. He tries to shift as his back flares up with pain, but he is forced to give up as his body is overcome with exhaustion. 

Tony raises a hand to rub around his stomach. He’s only five weeks in but there is already a definable bump. All the research he’s done says that his stomach shouldn’t be this big already, so every time he looks in the mirror he gets more nervous. He hopes it isn’t twins, he can barely swallow the idea of becoming a father to one child, and now he might have to take care of two? Bless those children. He can feel the Howard Stark genes coursing through his veins and he knows he’s going to be a terrible dad. 

Suddenly, the bathroom door busts open and Steve walks in. 

“Baby, what happened?” Steve crouches down. 

“Nothing, i’m okay,” Tony says, shifting and wincing, trying to sit up. 

“You look pale, Tones,” Steve says softly, reaching down to help Tony up. 

Steve places his arms around Tony’s waist and begins to lift. He freezes when Tony yells out. 

“Give me a minute, Stevie,” Tony pants. 

For a few moments Tony sits on the ground trying to will the pain away. Steve crouches next to him, softly rubbing his back and shoulders. “It’s okay Tones, just think about that cute baby that will be in our arms soon,” Steve smiles. 

Tony grins, not completely seeing past the suffering he will have to endure these next few months. After another breath, Tony grabs Steve’s arms to help pull himself up. In a less than graceful movement, Steve helps pull Tony into a standing position. 

“We can ask Dr.Cho today if she can prescribe you some better pain meds,” Steve says. 

Tony nods, still trying to wake his body up. The room spins a little bit, but he suspects that’s because he hasn’t eaten yet. 

“Think you can eat a bit?” Steve asks. 

“I’ll try,” Tony sighs. 

They spend the next few minutes getting to the elevator and up to the common floor. By the time the doors open, Tony’s back has been reduced to small twinges and the dizziness has faded- or at least that’s what he tells himself so he can try to act normal in front of the team. 

The team all shout their greets when they notice Tony and Steve walking over. Bruce is setting the last few pancakes onto a plate and the rest of the team are setting up the silverware. As Bruce removes his apron, the rest take their seats around the table. 

In no time, everyone is digging into the multitude of food that overflows the table, everyone except Tony of course. 

Tony sits with his elbows in front of his empty place, holding his head in his hands. 

“Aren’t you going to eat Man of Iron?” Thor says in between three sausages and a mouthful of eggs. 

“Yeah, just not super hungry right now. I had a big dinner,” Tony lies. He thought he was hungry, but his stomach is doing flips just at the smell of food. He is doing everything he can not to throw up over his lap. 

“You didn’t eat dinner at all yesterday,” Clint reports. 

“Well, i’m just not hungry!” Tony grunts, frustrated. 

“Tony, you really should eat. We haven’t seen you at any of the meals in several days, and you look like you’ve lost weight,” Bruce says softly. 

“Fine,” Tony says, angrily taking a bit of toast. 

As soon as the toast hits his tongue his body forcefully ejects it and he begins dry heaving over his lap again. Nothing comes out because his stomach is already drained of all nutrients, but he can’t stop as his throat continuously convulses. 

The team all jump up in concern. Clint grabs water, Thor grabs a towel, and Natasha runs to find medicine as Bruce and Steve crouch next to Tony. 

“It’s okay Tones, don’t fight it,” Bruce says softly as tears leak from Tony’s eyes.

Nothing but spittle comes out, but Tony’s face turns red from the lack of air. Steve rubs his husband’s back as Thor places the towel in Tony’s lap. Tony grips Steve’s arm roughly as he fights the pain of his body rebelling against him. Finally after a few minutes, the heaving stops and Steve brings Tony’s head to his chest as he cries. Bruce takes the medicine from Natasha and takes it into the kitchen to crush it into a drink, which he hopes Tony’s system will be able to handle. 

In the dining room, Tony quietly pants against Steve as he runs his fingers through his air. Clint and Thor move to set up the couch with a few pillows and a blanket. 

“Your appointment isn’t for a few more hours, you think you can rest until then?” Steve asks Tony softly. 

Tony nods with his eyes closed. Steve gently lists Tony behind his back and under his knees and carries him to the couch.

“Stay,” Tony whines as he tries to lower him to the couch. 

Steve shakes his head fondly before lowering himself onto the couch and placing Tony onto his lap. He covers them both with a blanket as Tony lays his head against his chest and cuddles closer. Steve smiles sadly at his husband before rubbing soft circles onto his stomach, praying for the baby inside.   
\--------------------------------

“The pills aren’t working,” Tony whines, spewing into the bucket Bruce holds. 

Steve was driving them to the doctor’s appointment and Bruce decided to come so he could ask Dr.Cho some questions about Tony’s care. 

Tony was sitting in the backseat in Bruce’s arms. He had been feeling better after his nap and even consumed a few crackers and a gulp of water. But as soon as the car started moving, his body was back to rebelling. Luckily, with the crackers and water, throwing up was not as bad as before when he was pulling up plain stomach acid, but it still hurt his throat and stomach tremendously. 

“We’re almost there baby,” Steve looked back at them. 

Bruce had a permanent frown on his face, but this time, it was more than his ‘concerned’ frown, it also was his ‘i’m trying to solve a complicated problem’ frown. 

Steve wanted to ask him what he was thinking about, but he quickly lost his focus as Tony’s dry heaving started up again. Steve released a thankful sigh when he noticed the doctor’s office up ahead.   
\-------------------------

“Tony, your vitals are a bit worrying, how have your pregnancy symptoms been so far?” Dr.Cho asks. 

“Fine,” Tony states flatly. 

“No, not fine,” Steve rolls his eyes, “He has been having intense morning sickness.”

“That’s too bad, lets see if we can find better medication for you,” replies the doctor while typing away at her keyboard. 

“How often are you getting sick?”

“Whenever I eat I usually throw up after,” Tony replies.

Dr.Cho frowns, “Have you been able to keep anything down?” 

“Just some crackers and water.”

Dr.Cho types some more. “I’m going to have you a new diet. Instead of three meals a day, have six snack-meals. I will email a list of blander foods to buy, and in addition, try consuming drinks with more electrolytes and ginger in them. That should help.”

The trio nod, while Bruce takes notes. 

“Let’s do an ultrasound now,” Helen says, bringing over a machine. 

Dr.Cho rubs the cool gel on Tony’s stomach before turning on the machine. 

Tony tilts his head at the black and white blob on the screen. Steve melts, tears coming to his eyes. Bruce moves closer, fascinated. 

“That’s weird,” Helen says. 

“What?” Tony asks, alarmed. 

“The baby looks bigger than 5 weeks old. It looks about 8-9 weeks old. But that can’t be possible. I’m going to do a blood test to make sure everythings okay,” Dr.Cho says skeptically. 

Tony looks at Steve and Bruce in confusion, but nods. 

After the blood test, Tony sits up and Steve crouches down to put on Tony’s shoes. 

Helen Cho pauses before she leaves and looks directly at Tony. “You are losing too much weight, make sure you are eating more. And don’t be afraid to tell me anything, we want to make sure your baby is as healthy as possible.”

Tony nods, grinning back at her. 

“See baby,” Steve says once the doctor has left the room, “Nothing is wrong. Once you get on these new meds you’ll feel good as new.”

Tony nods, still unbelieving.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, let me know what you think! See you next chapter!


	3. Something's Wrong

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony faints at the store and revelations are made.

Two weeks later, it is Clint who proposes the idea of going out to shop for baby stuff. Pepper, who was absolutely ecstatic at the news, takes Natasha to look at clothes, while they send the boys to look for furniture. After two hours of looking at wooden cribs, Tony wishes he went with the girls.

“But this one is made of birch,” Steve points out. 

“Yes, but maple wood is more durable!” Bruce argues back. 

They had been arguing for several minutes now over the two different colored cribs. 

“I’ll find out which one is more durable,” Clint smirks before tossing himself into the crib, almost hitting Bruce. 

Immediately, the crib collapses under Clint’s weight causing all the shoppers to look over at the huge commotion.

“We’ll pay for it!” Clint shouts to no one, still giggling. He high-fives Thor as he steps out of the wood remains. Clint freezes when he catches a glimpse of the price tag hanging onto one of the pieces. “Tony, you’ll pay for it right?” He whispers. 

Tony rolls his eyes before walking over to Steve. “Hey, are you almost done?” He asks slowly. 

“We still have a few more cribs to look at, and I haven’t even looked at mattresses yet! Do you think babies like memory foam?” Steve says distractedly, walking down the aisle. 

“Steve, please,” Tony begs softly. 

The pain in his voice causes Steve to look up. Tony was practically hunched over with his eyes in small slits. His face was scrunched up and one of his hands was glued to his forehead. Tony sways for a second before catching himself. Immediately he reaches out for Tony. “What’s wrong baby?” He frowns. 

Tony holds in a wince. “I think all the walking...my head is just…” Tony fades off, pushing his head into Steve’s chest. 

“Okay, baby. How about you sit down for a bit and we’ll get you some-” Steve is interrupted by Tony’s body going limp. He grabs his husband’s arms. “Bruce!” He calls. 

The man was still observing the wood carvings on the cribs when he heard his name. He immediately runs over when he notices Steve trying to hold up a limp Tony. “What happened?!” He shouts. 

“I don’t know,” Steve fumbles, “he was complaining about his head and then…”

“Clint!” Bruce calls. “Lay him down gently,” Bruce instructs Steve. 

“Clint, block us so that people don’t start coming over,” Bruce says when the man arrives from looking at bottles. 

Bruce helps Steve lay Tony onto the carpeted floor of the store. Steve follows the scientists demands and places his jacket under Tony’s ankles to raise his feet. Bruce immediately checks Tony’s forehead while looking at the vitals Jarvis displays on his watch. “I think he’s dehydrated,” Bruce concludes. He pulls at Tony’s collar to help him breathe better. 

“Are the babies okay?” Steve asks. 

“They should be, but you should bring him to Dr.Cho to make sure,” Bruce advises. 

Seconds later Tony starts groaning. “What happened?” He mumbles, trying to sit up. 

“Stay down Tony, rest for a bit,” Bruce orders, helping Steve force the man down. 

Clint pulls out a water bottle and hands it to Steve. Steve lifts Tony’s head up a little and helps him take a few sips. 

“Where ‘m I?” Tony asks again. 

“We are at the baby store, you fainted,” Steve fills in. 

“My head hurts,” Tony cries, “Can we go home?”

“Yes, we can go home. But I need to ask you something baby, are you listening?” Steve says. 

Tony nods, his eyes squeezed shut in pain. 

“Do you feel like there’s something wrong with the baby? Does it feel like they got hurt when you passed out?”

“Steve,” Bruce grunts. 

“We need to know,” Steve says firmly. 

“I don’t know,” Tony cries, putting his arm over his eyes. His world was currently spinning in circles.

“It’s okay Tony, we are going home now. We shouldn’t have kept you out walking this long anyway,” Bruce jumps in before Steve can say anything. 

Tony just cries harder, his head pounding fiercely. 

Thor, who had been called over by Clint, reaches down to pick up Tony bridal style as Bruce shoves Steve into the next aisle. 

“Can you stop?” Bruce says angrily. 

“Wow, so now I’m a bad person for looking out for my kid?” Steve gets defensive. 

“No, but you are a bad person for not looking out for Tony,” Bruce responds. 

“I do look out for him! He’s my husband for God’s sake!” Steve yells. 

Bruce sighs, keeping his anger in check. “Listen, you have to understand that this pregnancy is hard on Tony, okay?”

“I know that!” Steve grunts. 

Bruce stares at him for a few moments before walking to the car. Steve huffs before following him.   
\-------------------------

“It looks like the baby is okay, but your blood pressure is extremely high, Tony. In addition, you lost even more weight than when I saw you at your last appointment. Are you still having a lot of morning sickness?” Dr.Cho asks softly. 

Tony lays on the examination bed with Steve standing by his head. Bruce sits in a chair directly next to them, taking notes of Dr.Cho’s observations. 

“No, he hasn’t been throwing up alot anymore. Does that mean the baby is healthy?” Steve responds. Tony lowers his eyes. 

Dr.Cho looks back and forth between the two. “Well yes, but morning sickness does not really correlate to the health of the baby, it is more so connected to the mother.”

Steve nods while Dr.Cho pauses. 

“Steve, Bruce, can you guys step outside for a few moments, I want to do a physical examination,” she asks. 

They both nod and step outside the door. Helen walks over to close and lock it before walking back over to the bed. She sits on the edge and looks Tony in the eyes. “Tony, we’ve been friends for a long time, I want you to be honest with me- how are you really doing,” she asks softly.

It takes all his might not to break down crying that second. “I don’t know,” he says softly. 

Helen reaches out and takes Tony’s hand. He looks down at their clasped hands and immediately breaks out into sobs. “I hate this,” he cries.

Helen pulls Tony into her arms. “Tell me what's wrong.”

“All of it! All of it's wrong! Everything hurts, I can’t stop puking all the time, I can’t eat, my head is always pounding, and no one listens to me!” He yells. 

“What do you mean?” Helen asks softly, rubbing Tony’s shoulder. 

“Somethings wrong,” he whispers. 

“What?” Helen asks, alarmed. 

“I- I don’t know. But I can feel it. Something’s wrong,” Tony says firmly.

“With the baby? Or with you?” 

“I don’t know. Both, I guess,” Tony looks down at his lap. 

Helen frowns. “Tony, you have to tell me more. Does something hurt? What do you feel-”

“I don’t know,” Tony yells, “Just- please. I need you to do tests or something. I just know something is wrong and Steve won’t listen to me, and-”

“Hey, hey, hey,” Cho says, trying to calm him down. “I will do the tests okay? But I need you to do something for me.”

Tony nods, wiping the tears from his eyes. 

Helen hands him a tissue. “I need you to focus on yourself, okay? I need you to make sure you are healthy. Because if you aren’t healthy then the baby won’t be. You are important too, Tony. No more lying to me, okay? If you are hurting or if you are experiencing something, you need to tell me. I don’t care what Steve thinks, I care about you,” Helen smiles. 

Tony grins back. After composing himself and receiving his medicine, Tony walks out to join the boys in the reception area.   
\--------------------------------------------

A few days later, the phone rings. 

“Avengers residence. No we aren’t signing autographs and if you are a bad guy please hold and we will forward you to Nick Fury for-”

“Clint, I need you to tell Steve to get Tony and bring him down to the clinic,” Dr.Cho interrupts. 

“I think they are out right now, will tomorrow-”

“I need to see them NOW,” She responds frantically. 

“Okay, but-”

“Clint, this is extremely important. Hang up, find Tony and tell him I got his test results. He needs to get here ASAP.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A LOT of angst next chapter! Don't forget to review!


	4. Special Person

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The revelation you've all been waiting for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you like this chapter. Your comments bring tears to my eyes- sometimes in happiness sometimes in laughter. I love you all!

“The baby is a super soldier,” Dr.Cho shouts as soon as the couple walks in. 

There were papers thrown all around her desk full of notes and research. The couple was barely through the doorway when she shouted her discovery. 

“I knew it!” Bruce shouts from the hall behind the couple.

Steve’s smile drops when he feels Tony collapse against him, unconscious. 

“Bring him over here,” Helen orders, clearing off the examination bed. 

Bruce helps Steve get Tony safely onto the bed. 

“Just shock,” Dr.Cho says after doing a quick examination of Tony. 

“I hope I was dreaming,” Tony groans, coming to. 

“You really need to stop fainting, baby,” Steve grins. 

“I’ll consider it.” Tony sits up with help from Steve before moving to the edge of the bed to face Helen. “Now please start from the beginning.” 

Bruce and Steve both sit on either side of Tony while Dr.Cho pulls up a hologram of information. 

“Well, I was incredibly concerned by your last ultrasound where it was discovered the development of your baby was way farther than it was supposed to be. At week 5, your baby looked closer to 9 weeks old, which is extremely uncommon. I was even able to examine the ultrasound further to discover your baby’s organs are already developing. So, I conducted a blood test and I noticed high potassium levels. I brought it to the lab and had some of my most trusted specialists research the anomaly further. They were the ones who ran additional tests and discovered the super soldier serum in the fetus’ blood,” Dr.Cho reported. 

Tony shook his head, overwhelmed. “What- what does that all mean?”

“It means your baby is a super soldier,” Bruce said slowly. 

“So the baby will be like me?” Steve asked.

“Well, we are unsure how the serum will affect the baby. The baby does have Tony’s blood in them, so the serum is diluted. We do know so far the baby will be more enhanced which we can conclude from their rapid growth.”

“So this means Tony will not be carrying the baby full-term then since the baby is growing faster, right?” Bruce asks, standing up to look at the hologram closer.

“I would assume so, but we will be monitoring the baby’s growth closely so that we can determine that later on,” Dr.Cho responds. 

“What effect does this rapid growth have on Tony?” Bruce asks. 

“That is why I needed to talk to you all today,” Dr. Cho starts, moving closer to the trio. “The most interesting effect of the super soldier serum is that it is self-sustaining. But when we conducted our tests, we discovered a problem. The serum in the fetus’ blood is self-sustaining but not yet.”

“What do you mean not yet? That’s not how it works,” Steve interrupts. 

“Keep in mind, Mr.Rogers, new research is being discovered about the serum to this day. How the serum affected you is different to how it affected Dr.Banner, and how it will affect your baby and husband,” Helen says slowly. 

Steve nods, properly chastised. 

“As I was saying, the serum is not self-sustaining yet so it is gaining its necessary nutrients from another source,” Dr. Cho continues. 

“Tony,” Bruce whispers. 

“Yes. The reason why Tony is experiencing all of these side-effects is because his body is being forced to provide for the serum and the baby. Once the baby is born, thus unconnected from Tony, the serum will then return to its self-sustaining nature.”

“But how is that possible? I can only assume from my own studies how much power and nutrients the serum needs. How will Tony be able to provide for them both?” Bruce asks, concerned. 

“That is our problem, Bruce. There was already doubt that Tony would be able to carry the baby full-term with his poor health, and with the baby being a super soldier that needs double the nutrients...I don’t think it’s a good idea,” Helen frowns. 

“No,” Steve shouts, “I don’t like what you’re implying.”

Helen’s eyes narrow, “I wasn’t implying anything, Mr.Rogers.”

“Yes you were. You want to kill our baby!” Steve jumps up and steps toward Dr.Cho.

“I did not say that Mr.Rogers, if you would lower your voice, that would be much appreciated,” she said sternly. 

“No, I don’t want to listen to this. You want to kill our baby because you think Tony can’t handle it,” Steve says loudly. 

“Well what do you think, Mr.Stark?” Helen asks. 

They all turn to the man who is curled into himself on the examination bed. His head is in his hands and he is shaking visibly. 

“Tell them Tony,” Steve encourages.

Tony curls tighter. He has fistfuls of his hair and is pulling hard. “I don’t know,” he whimpers. “I donno, I donno, I donno, I donno,” he cries, panicking more with each breath.

Bruce holds up a hand when Steve tries to approach. He sits next to Tony and pulls him into his arms. 

“Calm down Tony,” he whispers. 

Tony takes a few hitching breaths.

“That’s it, deeper. In and out,” Bruce says, helping him breathe while slowly coaching him out of his curled position. 

“Listen Tony, at the end of the day, it’s your body, It’s up to you what you want to do, it’s no one else’s decision but yours,” Dr.Cho says softly. 

Tony nods, wiping the tear tracks off his face. He looks over at Steve whose face had softened, but still held firm. His hands start fidgeting and he looks down at his lap. “I want to keep it,” he says softly. 

Dr.Cho and Bruce look a bit sad, but they nod.

Steve looks smugly at Dr.Cho before moving back to his seat next to his husband. 

“So the next step would be figuring out how to keep you healthy as possible, Tony,” Dr.Cho smiles softly. 

Tony nods, still focused on his lap. He had a thousand thoughts running through his mind but he wanted to wait until he was alone to sort through them. 

“I think performing some tests would be best. We can see if there’s any way we can deliver nutrients externally to the baby,” Bruce suggests. 

“Good idea, Dr. Banner. Perhaps an external source of potassium? That is the base of the super soldier serum.” Dr.Cho says. 

“Good idea, maybe if we start with potent antibiotics that are known to enhance the immune system we can find a compound that blends together nicely,” Dr.Banner adds. 

Steve frowns at the weird science talk while Tony smiles at the light he sees in his friends’ eyes as they bounce ideas back and forth. Eventually, Tony loses focus on the conversation when their chemical talk goes beyond his knowledge. He looks up when Steve grabs his hand. 

“It’s going to be okay,” Steve smiles widely. 

Tony grins back, but he can’t say he feels the same.   
\--------------------------

Two days later, Tony is still on the same bed, hooked up to four different beeping machines with a bunch of wires attached around him. He has an IV in each hand and a fetus heart monitor wrapped around his belly. A few hours ago he had a feeding tube shoved down his nose after he had thrown up for ten minutes straight after eating a cracker and refused to try anything else. 

Currently, he was sitting against his husband’s chest with a severe migraine. He had been reduced to tears at the throbbing that bounced his brain. The lights were off but even the darkness seemed too bright. He had tried to turn his head into Steve’s neck but the smell of his body wash almost caused his throw up cycle to start again. Steve had noticed the oncoming migraine when he started slurring his words, but it was still too late for his medicine to prevent the oncoming pain. For now, he was curled in his husband’s arms praying for the pills to take effect soon. 

Steve was being the perfect husband by supporting him while his body rebelled. He had one hand massaging his neck while the other drew slow circles on his belly. 

The two doctors, forced to stop their tests when Tony’s migraine started, tried to help as well. Bruce had Tony’s hand and was trying to relieve the pain with acupressure. Dr.Cho had run to get an ice pack to place on Tony’s forehead in order to help numb the pain in his head. After an hour though, they both moved to the other room to start analyzing the results from their most recent test. 

Four hours later, the doctors had returned to the room to see Tony recovering. He was extremely lethargic and couldn’t seem to hold his heavy body up from the way he was completely slumped against Steve. 

“Is it possible for me to take Tony home while you guys finish up your research? He can take whatever medicine you’re making there and I think you’ve done every test possible,” Steve asks, worn out himself. 

The two doctors look upset but they nod. “We will probably finish up today or tomorrow and we can present our research to you then at the tower,” Dr.Cho says. 

Steve nods thankfully and stands up from the bed. 

Dr.Cho removes the feeding tube and IVs from Tony’s person. “Try to get him to eat or I will bring this back with me,” Helen warns, holding up the feeding tube. 

Steve nods and picks up Tony bridal style. Immediately, Tony whimpers and buries his head in Steve’s neck. “It’s okay, we’re going home now,” Steve whispers.

“Finally,” Tony groans. 

Steve places Tony in the car and walks around to the other side. He can’t help but stare at Tony’s tired figure as he drives. His eyes are closed and his head leans against the cool glass but his eyebrows are scrunched up from lingering pain. Steve frowns, sighing deeply before focusing back on the road.   
\-------------------------------------------

When they get home, Tony spends the rest of the night sleeping, thankful to be separated from all of those wires and machines. Steve was currently upstairs watching a movie with the team, sans Bruce. Tony rolled over in the big empty bed and put a hand on his large belly. 

“You’re a super soldier just like your daddy,” Tony whispers in awe. “I wonder if you’re going to save the world some day.” Tony frowns at that. 

Did he really, for a second, think about disposing of the next generation of super heroes? How selfish it was of him to even think about killing a person that might save lives some day, might be a hero. It was then he vowed that he would make sure his kid became the special person they were meant to be…

...even if he himself wouldn’t be alive to see it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! *Spoiler* Shoutout to those who guessed that the baby was a super-soldier! You guys are too smart! Lots of fluff and angst coming up soon! Let me know what you think! <3


	5. Sacrifices

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new discovery and lots of angst...so the usual.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait, but I hope this mountain of angst and fluff make up for it. Doesn't the chapter title make you nervous? You should be....

“AH!”

The team (sans Thor who had gone back to Asgard) who were gathered around the kitchen, all jumped to attention. They had been in the middle of telling jokes while cooking dinner when Tony screamed. Steve ran over to his husband who was on all fours in the common room. The rest followed a beat after. 

“What’s wrong baby, what’s happening?” Steve asked frantically, sliding onto the floor to kneel next to Tony. 

Tony, face scrunched in pain, took a few deep breaths before answering. “The baby is kicking.”

Steve’s face lit up in happiness just as Tony screamed in pain again. 

There was a second before it all clicked for Bruce. “Shit!” he cursed, running over to Tony. He pushed past the frozen Steve whose smile was splitting his face. “Okay, Tony, let's lay down alright?” He said softly, helping ease the genius down. 

Tony, too focused on the pain, let the gentle hands lead him to the ground. Natasha supported his head as Clint and Bruce dealt with his heavy limbs. 

“Wait, what’s wrong? Isn’t that supposed to happen?” Steve asked, confused.

“Yes, but myself and Dr.Cho totally forgot about this,” Bruce swore. “The baby is a super soldier, so their limbs aren’t as harmless as a normal fetus, he is actually hurting Tony. He’s essentially punching Tony from the inside.”

“Ouch,” Clint swore. 

“Yes,” Bruce frowned, “Nat can you call Dr.Cho and have her come here ASAP?”. He flinched when Tony cried out again, trying to curl up. “Lay flat Tony, take deep breaths.” 

Tears erupted from Tony’s eyes. His hands covered his face in trying to preserve what little dignity he had left. “Hurts,” Tony hiccuped.

“I know, I know,” Bruce said softly, extremely sad. It was supposed to be an incredibly happy moment when a baby kicks, but now it was the exact opposite, well for all but one of them. 

“Tony, can I feel them?” Steve asked, scooting closer. 

Tony tried to smile through the tears up at his husband. “Sure,” he rasped. 

Bruce glared as Steve placed his hand on Tony’s stomach. 

After a few seconds, Tony shouted out again, squeezing his nails into his palms. 

Steve, who felt the punch under his hand, could not help but smile in amazement. “Wow Tony, it's really them. I could just tell they are going to be strong just like me!” 

Tony grinned tightly, nodding, before a double punch wrenched the breath from his lungs.

Steve’s smile was ear to ear as he raced to move his hand to feel his child’s fists. 

“Breathe, Tones,” Natasha said, noticing Tony’s face turning red. She wipes a few tears that leaked from the corner of his eyes. 

“Tony, did you eat yet today?” Bruce asked. 

Tony shook his head. 

Bruce frowned. “Clint can you grab crackers from the cabinet? And a glass of water?”

Clint ran to get the items while Bruce gently pushed Steve out the way so he was closer to Tony’s stomach. 

“Tony, the baby might be kicking because they’re hungry so you have to make sure you’re eating,” Bruce said. 

“Sorry,” Tony whispered, breath hitching. Natasha put her hand through Tony’s hair. 

“It’s okay, we are learning as we go,” Bruce said softly. 

As Bruce finished, another bulge became noticeable under Tony’s stomach, causing Tony to moan in pain.

“What’s happening?” Dr.Cho burst into the room.

“The baby is kicking,” Bruce responded over Tony’s heavy breathing. 

“Oh…” Dr.Cho realized. She walked over and knelt next to Tony. 

“How are you feeling Tony?” She asked softly. 

“M’ okay,” he whispered. “It jus’ hurts’.”

“I know,” she cooed, “But think of it as a good thing okay, this means your baby is healthy and growing strong.”

Tony nodded, wiping at his tears. 

“Let’s try to get them to calm them down though, alright?” She smiled. Inside, Helen was panicking. She completely forgot about the baby’s enhanced strength and the effect it would have when it started to kick. In her head, she was calculating all the possible injuries the baby could cause Tony just from one misplaced kick and the list was long and gruesome. 

“Please.”

“Movement usually helps calm them, so let's try that first okay?” Dr.Cho says. 

Tony nods. 

“Let’s get him up,” Dr.Cho says to the team that were staring at her anxiously. 

Natasha and Bruce help Tony sit up while Steve helped lift him from under his elbows. Steve held his husband for another few seconds when he felt Tony’s legs shake. 

Tony tried to bend in half when another few kicks jolted his stomach. “No, stay up, you can do it,” Helen encouraged.

Tony took a few deep breaths before taking hesitant steps around the common room, being led by Steve. “Come on baby, breathe,” he smiled. 

Tony’s steps were slow, but gradually got stronger and less shaky as the kicks seemed to calm down. After 20 minutes, Steve led him to the kitchen and lifted him onto one of the seats in front of the island. 

The team, who had migrated to the kitchen after being shuffled out by Dr.Cho, smiled at Tony and tried to get him to join the conversation while they continued making dinner. Their efforts went unnoticed as Tony laid his head in his folded hands on the table, closing his eyes. 

Clint walked over, tapping Tony, and forced him to eat the crackers and water he had fetched. Tony immediately felt like throwing up after the first one, but Clint’s glare made him continue to shove them down. As Tony digested the pack of crackers, Clint filled the air with the tales of his latest mission for SHIELD. 

Dr.Cho and Bruce, after checking up on Tony, immediately went to the lab to discuss their new discovery. 

“This is bad,” Bruce muttered, pacing back and forth. 

“Super bad. If the baby keeps getting stronger, there’s no telling what kind of damage they can do. They could break Tony’s ribs, hurt his spine. Then consider it’s weight if the fetus is going to be growing muscles at this rate!”

“Maybe we could sedate the fetus?” 

“That’s dangerous, plus we would never get the dosage correct with the super serum in its blood.”

“So what do we do?” 

“....”

“Well?”

“A baby kicks. They do it because they are hungry, or bored, or just because. It’s inevitable. There’s nothing we can do to completely stop them. In fact, it’s bad if they don’t show signs of movement.”

“Well this baby cannot kick! It could hurt Tony, badly.”

“The baby’s a super soldier, Bruce. The serum gives the body endless amounts of strength and energy. We cannot compete with that.”

“...This isn’t fair.”

“It’s not. All we can do is make sure Tony eats, he moves around, and we monitor him.”

“The baby isn’t even full term yet.”

“I know.”

“Why do these things always happen to Tony?”

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dinner ended up being very pleasant, actually. Bruce and Dr.Cho came to join the team after they finished their discussion. Tony felt better after he’d eaten, the baby had even relaxed. 

They were sitting around the huge dining table eating Bruce’s curry, Steve’s macaroni and cheese, Clint’s meatloaf, and Natasha’s red velvet cake she made for dessert. It was an odd mixture of food but with everyone coming from different backgrounds, it was extremely normal for the tower’s residents. 

“So did you decide on a name?” Clint asked. 

“We don’t even know it’s gender,” Tony deadpanned, eating a bite of macaroni. It was his favorite dish of Steve’s because it reminded him of his Aunt Peggy, it being her recipe. 

“But you can still have ideas,” Clint rolled his eyes. 

“Well I think i’m going to name them Tony Jr..”

Everyone at the table burst out laughing. “What?” Tony pouted. 

“Do I get a say?” Steve joked.

“Nope, Tony Jr. it is,” Tony smiled. 

“You’re setting that kid up for failure,” Clint muttered, causing more laughs. 

“Hey! You wish you could be named after someone so handsome,” Tony smirked. 

Clint mimed vomiting in response. 

“I think it’s time for me to go,” Dr.Cho said when the laughing settled down. “It was nice to see you all, and i’ll see you soon, Tony.”

The team all said their goodbyes and Natasha went to close the door. 

“I think it’s bedtime for us too,” Steve said, yawning. “Maybe we could go out for lunch tomorrow? Since we are all free.”

“Sure, I have to stop by SHIELD tomorrow morning, so let's do 2pm?” Natasha said. 

They all nodded in agreement. 

“Clint, you're on dish duty tonight,” Bruce said. 

“What! I was on dish duty last night!” Clint pouted. 

The voices faded as Steve led Tony to their bedroom. Tony collapsed onto the bed with a sigh as Steve helped him pull his clothes off and put on his pajamas. Tony could no longer see his feet with his growing belly, and it was nearly impossible to reach past his hips. 

Tony rolled into bed as Steve went to brush his teeth in the bathroom. He could barely move himself with his large stomach and aching body. He melted in relief when he felt hands putting pressure on his leg. Steve crawled onto the bed, putting his husband’s feet into his lap as he massaged them. They were tense and swollen and he could tell by the way his husband’s body relaxed into the sheets they were sore. 

“Have you thought of a baby name?” Steve asked after a long moment of comfortable silence. 

Tony moaned as Steve got closer to his knee. “No, I haven’t.”

“I have,” Steve said after a moment. 

“Really? Do you think it’s gonna be a girl or a boy?” Tony asked. 

“I don’t know,” Steve sighed. 

“Which do you want it to be?”

“If it were a girl, she’d be super sweet. She’d have great manners but still be funny like you. She’d be incredibly smart, and maybe she would even do gymnastics,” He smiled, his eyes glazing over. “We could get her a doll house, a real big one, like the size of me. And she’d have lots of pretty dresses, just like Peggy used to wear. But she’d also be a bad-ass. I’d teach her how to fight- she’d be a mini Black Widow. She’d have your black hair and my blue eyes.

“If it were a boy, he’d be incredibly athletic. He’d try out for every sport in school. We’d go to all his games with big signs and our faces painted to embarrass him. He would love playing with trucks and cars, just like I did. You’d teach him how to build a robot and i’d teach him how to punch bad guys. His hair would be curly, like yours is when it’s wet, but it’d be my color. And he would have your brown eyes but my nose. Maybe I could even give him my shield one day.” 

Tony frowned at Steve who was now laying next to him in bed, with his eyes closed. 

“Yeah,” Tony said. “That’d be nice.”  
\----------------------------------------------------

They both woke up to loud alarms blaring. 

“Shit, stay here!” Steve shouted, tripping out of bed and down the hall. 

Tony immediately went to get up to follow but Steve’s head popped back in the room. “I’m serious Tony, Stay Here!”

Tony rolled his eyes as Steve ran downstairs. “Jarvis, bring up the alert.”

“Yes sir,” the British AI said. “A group of foreign men with guns are threatening civilians on the streets in Midtown Manhattan approximately three blocks away.”

“And why can’t the police handle that?” Tony squinted.

“Because the guns are glowing, sir,” Jarvis deadpanned. 

“Well that makes more sense. Bring up the news footage,” Tony said, getting comfortable in bed. 

Several holograms appeared in front of him, showing the street, the men, and the Avengers swinging in. He turned up the volume and sat back against his pillows.

Suddenly, a shadow appeared at the door and no sooner someone had leaped onto his bed. 

“Steve told me to keep you company,” Natasha smiled, snuggling closer to him. 

“He did not say to invade my personal space!” Tony frowned. 

“You love me,” Natasha smiled, leaning her head onto Tony’s shoulder. 

Tony just rolled his eyes with a secret smile and turned back to the newscast. They both sat in comfortable silence, letting the blue light of the hologram and the female newscaster’s voice fill the room, until they heard shouting. 

Tony frowned and moved off the bed as fast as his pregnant stomach would allow. Natasha squinted, getting closer to the newscast having spotted something. 

At the window, Tony looked down and noticed a man, dressed the same as the bad guys on the television, fighting to get into the Stark Tower entrance. His eyes widened, thinking of the hundreds of employees he had in the building, and hobbled to the elevator. His body was protesting but he pushed himself to go as fast as he could. 

Making it to the lobby, he noticed the man yelling at his security guard and several secretaries and visitors looked on. He barely noticed Natasha next to him as he rushed forward. Several people gasped, seeing his stomach. 

“Hey!” Tony yelled. 

The man and the security guard both turned towards him. “Tony Stark,” the heavily accented man smiled. 

“What do you want?” Tony growled. He knew he must look ridiculous, yelling at a man with a weapon while still in his pajamas, but all he could focus on was making sure no one in the building got hurt. 

“You,” the man smiled wider. “We’ve come to take over New York, but you are in our way.”

“Tough luck, then. This is my building, this is my city, and you’re going to have to pack it up,” Tony glared, taking a step forward. 

“Who are you?” Natasha spoke up. She had been subtly pulling out her gun as the two spoke, she was ready to go in for the kill. 

The man, about to answer, suddenly noticed her movements and smirked before lifting up his glowing weapon. 

The man stepped forward, just as Natasha did. But before she could attack the man, she was pulled out the way just as the gun fired. 

The huge explosion rocked the building and set everyone flying. The man was about to fire again, but ducked when he saw a shield flying towards his head. 

A few seconds later, Captain America came running in, tackling the guy before knocking him out with his shield. He let Clint handle the rest and went running into Stark Tower where people were slowly picking themselves up from the explosion. 

Steve coughed as the dust and smoke filled the room, but started leading people to the exit as he walked in. While most had only minor injuries from falling or glass breaking, he did have to carry out a two women and a man who hit his head. Bruce and Clint came running in several minutes later when SHIELD came to detain the men. 

“Did you get everyone out?” Bruce asked. 

“Yes, the ambulances are on their way now,” Steve responded, coughing a bit from the smoke. 

“Where are Tony and Natasha?” Clint asked. 

“Still upstairs. The blast didn’t affect the upper floors,” Steve said.

Soon after the words left his mouth, he heard a loud groan. “Steve?” He heard.

The three men frowned before running in the direction of the voice. “Natasha?” Steve asked in confusion when he saw the woman. She was pinned by a fallen desk and one of her legs was stuck underneath.

Clint immediately ran over to help her. 

“Tony,” Natasha moaned. 

Steve’s heart dropped. “No.”

“He pushed me out the way,” she huffed, coughing through the dust. 

“No.” Steve repeated. In seconds he was dashing past her, looking around for his husband. “Tony!” He called, looking around. He vaguely noticed Bruce running around looking with him. 

Steve’s breath was punched out of his lungs when he noticed a body laid awkwardly over a broken, upturned sofa. Bruce was a second behind him in running over to where they had spotted his husband. 

Steve’s knees collapsed when he got close enough to notice the river of blood surrounding Tony, but Steve wanted to die when he noticed the blood still pouring from between Tony’s legs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gotta love that cliffhanger. What'd you think of this chapter?


	6. S' dead

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just lots of angst but also some fluff. Kind of short, but I'll make up for it next chapter!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the cliffhanger last chapter!

Previously:

“Tony,” Natasha moaned. 

Steve’s heart dropped. “No.”

“He pushed me out the way,” she huffed, coughing through the dust. 

“No.” Steve repeated. In seconds he was dashing past her, looking around for his husband. “Tony!” He called, looking around. He vaguely noticed Bruce running around looking with him. 

Steve’s breath was punched out of his lungs when he noticed a body laid awkwardly over a broken, upturned sofa. Bruce was a second behind him in running over to where they had spotted his husband. 

Steve’s knees collapsed when he got close enough to notice the river of blood surrounding Tony, but Steve wanted to die when he noticed the blood still pouring from between Tony’s legs.  
\--

“Shit!” Bruce yelled, running past Steve and over to Tony’s still body. Bruce pulled at his hair looking over his friend's injuries. 

“Do something!” Steve yelled, crying. 

“I can’t! Somethings wrong with his neck. I can’t touch him!” Bruce yelled back, frazzled. “Get the paramedics.”

“I’m not leaving him,” Steve frowned, walking closer to them. 

“I’ll go,” Clint said before running out. He had splinted Natasha’s leg, which was broken. And covered up the gash on her arm. 

As soon as he left, Tony started stirring. “S’ dead, S’ dead, I killed it,” Tony cried, slurring. 

“Tony, listen to me, don’t move!” Bruce said. He moved closer to the man but his hands hovered over his body. 

“S’ dead, S’ dead!” Tony cried, his breath hitching. 

“No!” Steve yelled. “Our baby is not dead! They’re not dead!” Bruce was unsure who he was trying to convince, himself or Tony. 

“Everyone calm down, everything is going to be-”

Before Bruce could finish, blood started pouring from Tony’s mouth and his eyes rolled to the back of his head. 

“Shit!” Bruce yelled. 

Less than a second later, two teams of paramedics were running over to the two injured parties. 

They pushed Steve and Bruce out the way as they rushed to stabilize Tony. They immediately put a neck brace on him and splinted his arm which was at an odd angle. They gently tried to arrange Tony onto the board to prevent more pain, but when the man began gasping for breath, they started rushing to get him onto the ambulance. 

“SHIELD Medical Center!” Bruce yelled as Steve ran after the rushing paramedics. 

Bruce ran over to check on Natasha who was getting her broken leg splinted and the gash on her wrist covered. He nodded to Clint before running after Tony and Steve.  
\------------------------------------

They placed Tony in the ICU and were told by Dr.Cho, who was already waiting at SHIELD, to wait in the waiting room. 

That was four hours ago. 

Natasha had joined them two hours in with a leg cast and a bandage around her wrist. She had her leg in Clint’s lap while he drew on it with a Sharpie. Bruce was biting his nails with worry, going over all the things that could be wrong with Tony and the baby. Steve had been pacing back and forth for the entire four hours. Every hour he had been experiencing different emotions- sadness, worry, fear, and now anger. 

“Who does he think he is? He wasn’t even wearing his suit and he thinks he can win against a guy with an alien gun? Is he stupid?” Steve yelled. 

“Calm down, Steve. He just wanted to make sure no one got hurt,” Natasha said. 

“Well look where that got him. Everyone got hurt, including my kid,” Steve grunted. 

“Steve, our job comes with risks,” Clint sighed. 

“I know that! But it was selfish of him to put my child in danger!”

“So it was selfish of him to risk his life for all his employees in that building? It was selfish of him to push me out of the way? He saved my life,” Natasha said.

Steve glared at the wall. “I will never forgive him if he just killed my child,” Steve growled under his breath. 

“It wasn’t his fault! If he didn’t do what he did, the guy would have hurt so many more people, he might have made the whole building collapse. You need to realize that you are not the only hero on this team, we all know the risks, we all make sacrifices. Your husband did what he felt he had to do. Tony is not a murderer no matter what that doctor comes to tell us,” Bruce grunted, eyes narrowed at Steve. 

Steve stared for a minute before backing down and collapsing in one of the chairs. 

They were quiet for the next hour and a half, the silence being broken by Dr.Cho walking in. The whole team stood up and approached. 

“Are they dead?” Steve rushed out. 

Dr. Cho hesitated. “Tony suffered partial placental abruption- which means the placenta partially separated from the uterine wall. The baby stopped receiving oxygen-”

“So it’s dead?” Steve asked anxiously. 

“Well, usually yes. Placental abruption can lead to miscarrage. The baby flatlined, and we thought it was dead, but after several minutes, it’s heart started beating again,” Dr.Cho said. 

“How is that possible?” Clint asked. 

“The serum,” Bruce’s eyes widened. 

“Yes. The serum is currently keeping the baby alive. The placenta is still partially attached which means the baby would typically be receiving less oxygen and nutrients, but the serum is...Mr.Rogers, it is similar to when you come back from a mission and feel the need to eat a large meal, more than usual. The serum is trying to sustain itself so it is pulling oxygen and nutrients from Tony at a larger and faster rate, which is becoming a problem for Tony,” Dr.Cho explains. 

“Can he deliver the baby then?” Bruce asks. 

“While the baby is growing at a faster rate, it is still premature. We would prefer to deter its delivery until we are sure it will be able to survive outside of the womb.”

“How long will that take?” Natasha asks.

“Well, we are hoping the baby will reach full-term by the end of the week,” Dr.Cho says. 

“Then you will perform a C-section?” Bruce asks. 

“Well no, Tony experienced a massive blood loss. He sprained his neck and one of his lungs was punctured by a broken rib. We were able to patch him up, but with the baby still thriving off of him, we do not believe he will be strong or healthy enough to survive the procedure. He will have to perform a natural birth,” Dr.Cho sighs. 

The team frowned. “Can we see them?” Steve asks after a moment. 

“Yes, follow me.” Dr.Cho directs them past several doors and into a large room located at the end of the ICU hall. 

The size of the room only serves to dwarf Tony who lays still in the hospital bed. His body was a dusty gray that you rarely see in someone that’s alive and he had a brace caging his neck. Somehow in the few hours they’ve seen him, all his body mass had evaporated leaving a frail shell of their teammate. His arms were toothpicks and one had a white cast that went from his wrist to his shoulder. The blankets rested right below his overgrown stomach, which was wrapped in several devices and belts that filled the room with their beeping. Tony had wires that criss-crossed all over his body and an IV in each arm. The oxygen mask covered more than half of his sunken face, but over it his swollen eyes and red cheeks were visible. The bed was semi-flat, but several pillows forced his body up. 

Steve approached his husband slowly. When he reached his bedside, he hesitated before taking Tony’s hand. “I’m here, baby,” he whispered. The hand was boney and ice cold. His wedding ring slid back and forth on his finger, having lost the body fat to hold it in place. It truly looked like the baby had sucked the life out of Tony with a bendy straw. 

As Steve used a gentle finger to move Tony’s hair out his face, tired eyes blinked open. “There’s my sunshine,” Steve smiled, leaning in to kiss Tony on the forehead. 

Tony huffed, not having any energy to form words. He had never felt so weak in his life. Everything attached to him felt weak and he was sweating from the thought of trying to move.

Steve leaned in close when he heard Tony whisper words from his frozen mouth. “Can you repeat that, baby?”

“S’ dead?” Tony rasped, lips unmoving. 

“No. The baby is just fine,” Steve smiled, caressing Tony’s cheek. 

Tony’s cheek bone twitched as if channeling a smile. He couldn’t lift his head from the pillows, but he let his eyes roam as far as they could to the other side of the room. 

Bruce, noticing, moved to Tony’s side. “Hey Tones. We are so glad you are alive. Just focus on getting better, okay?” He said softly. 

Tony twitched a thumb, imitating a thumbs up. Bruce smiled at the effort and patted Tony’s hand lightly. 

“Visiting time is over,” Dr. Cho said, entering the room. “But you guys can come back tomorrow.”

The team nodded solemnly and moved out of the room. Steve lingered for a bit, giving Tony a kiss and wishing him and the baby good night.  
\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next morning, Bruce entered Tony’s hospital room to see Dr.Cho and Steve trying to feed Tony some soup. 

The neck brace lay on the side table and they had replaced Tony’s oxygen mask with a cannula so his chapped, dry lips were now visible. His bed was higher than before, Tony still propped up by many pillows, and Steve was perched next to him on the bed. Dr. Cho leaned over the bed slightly on the other side. Steve held a spoonful of soup while Dr.Cho had her hands on Tony’s neck. 

“Swallow, that’s good,” Dr.Cho encouraged. Bruce watched Tony’s Adam’s Apple bob as he struggled to swallow the spoonful. Helen used her hands to massage Tony’s throat, helping guide the food down. Besides a few choking grunts, Tony was still and quiet. 

“What are you doing?” Bruce asked, placing his folded jacket on a chair before approaching. 

“Tony is having trouble swallowing his food. We can’t put in a feeding tube due to the fragile fetus, but he needs to eat in order to give himself and the baby nutrients,” Dr. Cho explains.

Bruce nods, before watching them attempt another swallow. This time the soup goes down on its own. 

“Dr.Banner do you think you could take over? I need to go look at some lab results that just got back,” Dr.Cho asks. 

“Of course,” Bruce responds before taking her place at Tony’s side. Helen pats Tony’s hand encouragingly before she leaves the room. 

“Almost finished baby,” Steve says softly, seeing Tony’s eyes droop a bit. 

Tony’s mouth cracks open slowly, prompting Steve to feed him another spoonful of soup. This time, the soup immediately comes back up, coupled with rough choking sounds. Bruce massages Tony’s throat to get the muscles to relax. “You’re okay,” Bruce says, wiping Tony’s chin with a nearby towel. 

“Two more scoops,” Steve says. 

Tony whines softly, letting his eyes drift close. Steve, knowing he was just tired and wasn’t sleeping, brings the spoonful of soup up to his husband’s mouth and lets it graze his lips. Tony’s mouth cracks open, letting the soup spill in. Bruce gently massages Tony’s throat downward, forcing the soup down before the muscles clamp up. The second scoop works similarly. And while there were about five more spoonfuls left in the bowl, Steve lets Tony off the hook. “You did so good,” Steve smiles. 

Tony’s mouth twitches, but his eyes remain closed. 

Bruce helps Steve clean up the mess on the breakfast tray. “Any news?” Bruce asks. 

“The baby’s heartbeat is stronger today,” Steve says. 

“That’s good,” Bruce says. They lasp back into silence. 

Just as Bruce sits in the hospital chair in front of the bed, Tony lets out soft groans. 

Steve runs over, eyes wide. “What happened, Tones? Migraine again?”

“Mmmm,” Tony agrees. His head lolls a bit on the mountain of pillows and Steve walks over to lower the bed. He also wraps the neck brace back around Tony’s neck. 

Bruce goes to the bathroom to get a wet paper towel. When he returns, Steve is sitting on the edge of the bed with his hands running through Tony’s hair softly. Tony moans periodically. Bruce approaches and lays the cold paper towel over Tony’s eyes. Tony lets out a softer groan in thanks and Steve nods at Bruce. 

Steve continues playing with Tony’s hair. “Why don’t you take a nap, baby? I’ll be here when you wake up,” he smiles. Bruce walks over to the door and dims the lights. Steve pulls up the covers slightly without covering the medical bands around Tony’s stomach. 

This was going to be a long week.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed! More angst and fluff coming next chapter! 
> 
> Feel free to suggest some baby names, I'll give you a shoutout if I choose yours!
> 
> This story is coming to an end, but I have lots of ideas for a sequel following the baby's growth and Tony's recovery. What'd you think?
> 
> Thanks for reading, please review!


	7. Today's The Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Today is the day...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all of you're passionate comments, they really make my day and make me want to write more!

Steve sat on the hospital bed holding Tony in his arms. His husband was limp against his chest moaning softly. His eyes were closed but his face was tense. The baby had resumed their painful kicks but at the same time he was experiencing contractions. Steve rubbed soft circles on Tony’s enlarged stomach, trying to help him through the pain. 

Dr. Cho was at the foot of the bed, lifting up Tony’s medical gown. After the examination, she writes some things down on her chart before walking over to Bruce, who was on the other side of the room. They both speak in hushed tones. 

“Are you excited, Tones? The baby is almost here,” Steve smiles.

Tony hums, eyes still closed in pain during a particularly tense contraction.

“I can’t wait to see if it’s a boy or a girl,” Steve continues. “The team has bets on the gender. I think Clint is betting on a boy and Natasha is-”

“S’eve,” Tony pants, his eyes are open wide and his breathing is stressed and heavy. He lifts a hand weakly to his chest. 

“What’s wrong, baby?” Steve says, on alert. 

Bruce and Dr.Cho pause their conversation and look over. 

“Hurts,” Tony huffs, his eyes slowly close and his hand falls off his chest. The heart monitor starts beeping wildly and so does the oxygen monitor. 

Dr. Cho and Bruce run over, each taking a side of the bed. 

“What’s happening?” Steve yells, being guided off the bed by Bruce. 

“Heart failure,” is all Dr. Cho supplies, focusing on grabbing syringes and a crash cart. 

The last thing Steve sees before the door is slammed in his face is Dr. Cho sticking a needle in Tony’s arm and Bruce holding an oxygen mask over Tony’s face. 

Steve is shaking by the time he gains enough brain cells to call Natasha and Clint. They get to the hospital in less than 10 minutes and immediately rush over to him. 

“What happened?” They both shout at the same time.

“I- I- I don’t know,” Steve stutters, eyes still wide and frightened. “He- He was having con-contractions and I- I was sitting with-with him and then he gra-grabbed his chest and-”

Clint and Natasha guide him to the waiting room chairs. Steve collapses heavily into one and the two sit on either side of him. Steve puts his head in his hands and starts sobbing. 

“I don’t want him to die,” Steve cries. 

Natasha rubs his back comfortingly. “He’s strong. He’s Tony Stark.”

“I love him so much,” Steve whispers. “I love them both.”

“We know you do,” Natasha says softly. 

They all sit in silence for the next hour until Dr. Cho calls them back to the room. 

The scene is similar to when he saw Tony after the explosion, but this time, there were twice as many needles going through Tony, and one of the bags attached had blood in it. Tony had a different type of oxygen mask that had two straps that wrapped around his head, keeping it in place. He was slightly elevated, still propped up with his mountain of pillows. His gown was unbuttoned and showed the multitude of plugs that stuck on his chest. 

Steve immediately ran to Tony’s side, but his hands hovered, unsure where he could touch his sickly husband. 

“What happened?” Clint asked. 

“He has peripartum cardiomyopathy which is a type of heart failure that can happen during pregnancy. His heart was pumping out over 50% more blood for the baby and it was weakening him. The contractions had his heart under too much stress today and it couldn’t keep up. We are giving a blood transfusion now, but we will be monitoring him closely,” Dr. Cho explains solemnly. 

“Does that mean his heart will get better after he gives birth?” Natasha asks. 

“Well, sometimes. But in Tony’s case, with his body so weak and his heart already damaged, we don’t predict him recovering fully.”

Nothing but Steve’s sniffles are heard for several moments. 

“Is the baby doing okay?” Clint asks. 

“Yes, it looks like this did not affect the baby, they are still receiving oxygen and nutrients and are still growing,” Dr. Cho grins slightly. 

“Let’s let Tony rest,” Bruce says finally. Clint and Natasha look sad to be leaving, but Steve stays firmly in his spot next to Tony’s bedside. 

“I’m not leaving him,” Steve says firmly. 

Bruce stares before nodding with a sigh. The others leave the room. 

Steve stares down at his fragile husband, looking past the baby that grows inside him. It was the first time he truly understood the suffering his husband was going through. Tony might die, all because of their child. He didn’t know how to feel about that. He didn’t ever want to think about becoming a father, a dad, without Tony by his side. But he also doesn’t think he could live with himself if he had to leave the hospital without a child in their arms. He was extremely conflicted and just prayed he wouldn’t have to choose between the two horrible scenarios.  
\--------------------------------  
“I think today’s the day,” Dr.Cho said, coming out from under Tony’s gown. 

Tony himself was again resting on Steve’s chest, the only way he truly felt comfortable, especially now that the neck brace was gone. Contractions had him awake all morning, growing more painful each hour. They couldn’t give him the strong pain medicine which would contrast the pills he was taking for his failing heart, so he was trying to survive with the low-dose that did practically nothing. He did feel stronger after the blood transfusion but the contractions were taking up his energy again.

“Breathe, Tony,” Natasha said softly, from where he was grabbing her hand at his bedside. He didn’t realize he was holding his breath until she said it, so he let all the air rush out of him. It was immediately replaced by the oxygen mask that covered his face. 

“How about you change positions, Tony? See if it helps with the pain,” Dr. Cho said, moving to his bedside. 

Tony took another long breath but agreed. 

“Okay, let's get him off the bed, see if standing helps.” Dr.Cho called over Clint who was sitting by the window and Bruce who was looking at Tony’s chart by the door. 

The two men stood by the edge of the bed, waiting for Helen to unplug several wires. When she was finished, Bruce and Clint gentily shifted Tony’s legs sideways and Steve pushed Tony forward until he was sitting on the side of the bed. Tony was held steady by Steve at his back and the two men at his sides. Dr. Cho slid blue fuzzy socks onto his feet that had sticky soles so he wouldn’t slip. 

“How are you feeling, Tony?” She asked softly, seeing his eyes were closed. 

Tony hummed, trying to catch his breath. 

“Want to try to stand now?” She asked after a few seconds. 

Tony nodded, opening his eyes. 

Steve helped him lean forward so his feet touched the ground and Bruce and Clint held each arm so he didn’t fall over. He could feel the blood rush to his feet as he put pressure on them, and his body felt extremely heavy. 

“How does it feel now Tony?” Dr.Cho asked. 

Tony took catalogue of his pain and was surprised to find he actually felt a bit better- he told Helen so. 

“Steve, now you stand in front here,” Dr. Cho directed. 

Steve came to stand in front of Tony and Dr.Cho directed his arms around Tony’s body. Gradually, Tony let his weight fall onto Steve until his husband was the only thing keeping him up. He felt a sigh as his body relaxed some. Bruce moved behind him and started applying pressure to his lower back. Dr.Cho moved his hands upward a bit to hit the right spot and Tony sighed in relief. 

They stayed in this position for several minutes until a fierce contraction forced Tony’s knees to collapse. Steve caught him just in time but he couldn’t focus on holding up his body as his stomach seized in pain. Tony cried out and curled his fists into Steve’s shirt. 

“Tones, it's okay, relax,” Steve soothed. Tony continued to tense up and take hitching breaths. 

Bruce looked at the oxygen monitor which started to beep. “Tony, listen to me. You have to breathe through them, okay? Take a deep breath and let it out slowly,” Bruce guided. 

After a moment, Tony started to listen and follow Bruce’s guidance. The extra supply of oxygen helped him breath a bit better while he rode the contraction. Halfway through, Dr. Cho shifted his arms around Steve’s neck allowing him to drop his weight and for Steve to support him better from around his shoulders. Tony rested his head onto Steve’s chest and tried to breathe through the pain. Bruce directed Steve on how to massage Tony’s back and soon they were swaying back and forth slightly as the pain started to recede. 

Three hours later, Tony was kneeling on the floor, sobbing, with his head in Steve’s lap, who was sitting on a chair. His contractions were only minutes apart and extremely painful. They had to up the oxygen because he was having trouble breathing properly and give him another IV of fluids because he was extremely dehydrated. Steve was still massaging his back while keeping up with the soothing words in his ear that helped him remove his focus from the pain. Natasha was sitting next to him on the floor, rubbing her hands through his hair. Clint was on his other side, feeding him ice chips while Bruce was monitoring his vitals. 

Steve bent down to give him a kiss on the top of his head as he fisted Steve’s pants in pain. “Hurts so bad,” he cried. 

“I know, baby,” Steve cooed, “You’re almost there, okay.” Steve’s heart broke at his husband’s sobs and he wished he could do more to relieve his pain. 

Tony buried his head in Steve’s lap again as his headache became known. 

Just as another contraction was finishing, Dr. Cho walked back into the room. “Okay, Tony, I think it’s time.”

Tony was half relieved and half nervous. He was anxious to meet his baby but hoped the pain wouldn’t be too bad. 

Steve grabbed him from under his armpits and helped him stand with Clint’s help. When his body was upright, he immediately became light-headed and swayed. Steve caught him just in time. Tony’s eyes closed against their will and his body leaned into Steve’s. Dr. Cho moved in front of him. 

“Tony, Tony,” she called. 

Tony hummed, eyes still too heavy. He felt hands feel his forehead and listen to his heart, but it was hard to focus over the slight rushing in his ears. After a minute, he felt strong hands lift him bridal style and place him gently onto the bed. 

“Tired,” Tony slurred. His head lolling on the pillow. 

“I know you are, but you just gotta get through this one part and then you’re done,” Dr. Cho said. 

Bruce moved to check the heart monitor when the beeping grew a bit quicker. His nails were between his teeth, anxious at Tony’s weak vital signs. 

Dr.Cho peeked under the gown one more time before looking at Tony, whose eyes were opening weakly. “Remember the breathing techniques we worked on right? So when you feel the next contraction, you’re going to push, okay?”

Tony nodded lazily. He felt Steve sit behind him and Natasha wipe his forehead with a cool cloth. His body felt extremely weak, ready to shut down at any moment. 

“Tony, baby, you gotta focus okay?” He heard Steve say in his ear. He felt Clint squeeze his hand at his side and Steve massage his shoulders. Tony raided his body for a few more ounces of energy before taking a deep breath. 

Dr. Cho and Bruce stood at the foot of the bed and each grabbed a leg to place in the stirrups. Tony had no additional energy to feel embarrassed at his science friend seeing his private area. Just as they finished getting him set up, another contraction started. 

Tony bit his lip but a few grunts escaped. 

“Okay Tony, time to push. On the count of three,” Dr. Cho said, moving closer to Tony’s bent legs. 

When they got to three, Tony pushed with all his might. His heart was beating wildly and it was extremely hard to breathe but he squeezed Clint’s hand and Steve’s leg and willed the baby out of him. The pain of the contraction was quickly replaced by a burning sensation. 

“Tony, you gotta push harder, the baby is very large,” Dr. Cho says. 

“I’m try’n,” Tony pants, limp against the pillows. 

“You got this baby, you can do it,” Steve encourages. 

Seconds later, the pain returns. Just as Dr. Cho instructs, Tony pushes with all his might. The burning hurts even more and Tony is now screaming with pain. “It hurts!” he screams. 

Dr. Cho and Bruce discuss something in low tones while Tony tries to catch his breath. Bruce moves to the table to grab something while Dr.Cho inserts a syringe of liquid into Tony’s IV.

“What’s happening?” Tony barely registers Steve asking. 

“The baby is barely moving and we think it’s because of their size. We need to use forceps,” She answers. 

It is then Tony concludes that the liquid she inserted into his IV must be morphine which probably means that this was going to hurt. A lot. 

When the next contraction comes, Tony cannot hold his shouts and he knows he is very close to breaking Clint’s hand. Just as the contraction reaches its peak, Dr. Cho uses metal forceps to wrap around the baby’s head and pull it out. Tony’s screams echo down the hallways and his heart monitor goes wild as he starts hyperventilating. 

Bruce curses and pushes a different medicine into Tony’s IV just as the baby enters Dr. Cho’s arms. The baby is quickly passed to Bruce as Dr. Cho curses and shouts towards the hall for another doctor. Tony’s vision blacks out just as a swarm of doctors come flooding the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gotta love that cliffhanger right? Sorry about that :(
> 
> Do you think Tony and the baby will be okay?


	8. What'd I Miss?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the pregnancy.

When Tony blinks awake, it's to immense pain, as usual, but also to lots of chatter. Not exactly how Tony prefers to awaken, being a man who loves his solitude, but the voices sound happy, so he forces his eyes to peel open. 

Still in the same hospital bed, he sees all the Avengers lounging around the room, yapping away. He barely takes notice of Rhodey coming towards him as he gasps at the pain between his legs. 

“Hey Tones,” Rhodey smiles, grabbing his hand. “I’m so sorry I couldn’t be here until now. The military had me on this big rescue mission.”

Tony blinks his eyes open a few more times, trying to comprehend what his friend is saying. He goes to sit up but is stopped by Rhodey’s hand pushing him down. 

“Stay down, Tones,” Rhodey chides, “The doctor said you have a lot of damage...down there, and shouldn’t be moving much.” Rhodey uses the remote to lift the bed slightly.

Tony coughs, trying to speak. 

“I’ll get you some water,” Rhodey says, moving to the side table. 

Tony’s coughs gather the others’ attention and they all move closer to his bed. 

“Glad to see you awake Tony,” Natasha grins. 

“Yeah, we thought you were going to sleep forever,” Clint groans dramatically, a smile betraying his act. 

Tony takes a slip of the water Rhodey pushes up to his mouth. “Baby?” He rasps. 

Everyone’s faces light up and they all shout at him a mile a minute. Tony squints, not able to comprehend the shouting. 

“Guys, calm down,” Rhodey says, causing everyone to go quiet. “Steve?” 

Everyone turns and Tony follows their gazes to where his husband is on the far side of the room by the window, cooing at something in his arms. “Steve!” Rhodey says louder.

Steve, totally enraptured in the bundle he holds, looks up in surprise. “Tony,” he smiles, walking over. 

When Steve gets close enough, it is then Tony realizes the bundle in his arms is actually a person- a child, his child. 

“Let Tony hold him,” Bruce mutters to Steve when the man simply stares at Tony. 

“Him.” Tony mouths to himself in wonder. 

Steve jumps, “oh, yeah,” he says, blushing. He then leans down to gently lay the baby in Tony’s arms. Rhodey holds up Tony’s elbow when he notices the man’s weak arms shaking. 

Tony melts when the baby is fully snuggled in his arms. Already, his son’s eyes are open as he babbles softly to himself. The baby is an exact copy of Steve- ocean blue eyes underneath golden yellow hair. Tony cannot find it in himself to be upset that the baby holds none of his features- his son is perfect. 

“Say hello to baby Bucky,” Steve smiles. 

Tony freezes. “That’s...not the name we chose, Steve.”

“I know, but I think naming my son after my best friend is the best way to remember him. Bucky would love it,” Steve says. 

“Our son,” Tony emphasizes, frowning. “Bucky sounds like a dog’s name. I am not calling our son that. And you didn’t hear me suggest the name Rhodey, did you? No offense, Rhodey.” 

Rhodey waves his hand. 

“But, Bucky is- was my best friend. And this is my first kid,” Steve says. 

“Our first kid, Steve. That’s why we chose the name together.” Tony huffs, squeezing his eyes shut. “Fine, we’ll call him James. James Carter,” Tony compromises after willing away his quickly-forming migraine. 

Steve smiles, grabbing the baby from Tony’s arms. Tony frowns at the loss.

Before Tony can ask for his son back, Dr. Cho walks in. 

“Glad to see you are awake, Tony,” she smiles. “It looks like your son is extremely healthy.”

“That’s good to hear, is the serum affecting him at all?” Tony asks. 

“Not in any way that is harmful. But, he is growing at a slightly accelerated rate. You can see that his hair is already growing in, and he is stronger than the average newborn. He will be hungrier and more active than average as well. Dr. Banner and I have developed supplements for him to take until he grows old enough where the serum can sustain itself without any issues.”

Tony nods, trying to look over at his son from where Steve had him huddled in his arms. 

“You, on the other hand, are going to be on bed rest for several days. You experienced a tear at the birthing site and needed stitches, which caused you to lose a lot of blood. Your heart is weak from the heart failure you experienced and you will forever be on medication to help the strain,” Dr. Cho says softly. “Even once off bed rest, you can not pick up anything heavy, you should always have oxygen within reach, and you are not to strain yourself.”

“How long until I can be Iron Man?” Tony asks.

Dr. Cho looks down at him pityingly. “I don’t think you’ll ever be able to be Iron Man again. It’s just too much for your heart. You were so close to dying during this pregnancy, Tony, several times.”

Tony puts his head in his hands. Dr. Cho sighs. “I will be releasing both you and the baby to the tower today, under Dr. Banner’s watchful eye. I’ll be back with the paperwork.”

Dr. Cho leaves and Tony doesn’t move. He feels Rhodey rub his shoulder, but he can’t bring himself to look up. To face reality. His life is changed forever. How is he supposed to be Tony Stark without Iron Man? It’s a part of him. He looks over at Steve who is back in the corner, cooing at his son. While he knows it’s not true, a part of him feels like he lost his husband as well. But that’s not true, right?

\------------------------------------------

Tony thought things would get better when he got home, but they didn’t. Steve was absolutely besotted with the baby, which made Tony happy, but he knew Steve was disappointed in Tony’s inability to help as much as he wanted. 

While Tony felt better than he did during the pregnancy, he still felt run down and weak. Walking across the room left like running a marathon, and even eating felt like a chore. He was extremely stressed, trying to push himself so he could be a good father and husband to his two boys but it was getting harder every day.

“It’s your son too, why am I the one always waking up at 2am? We are supposed to be a team,” Steve yelled one night after the baby monitor started making noise and Tony didn’t move. 

“I know, Steve. I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Tony whispered, feeling extremely guilty. It wasn’t like Steve to yell but he knew they both were stressed out as new parents. He dragged his tired and battered body to the edge of the bed, wincing as he sat on his still healing stitches. It took several long breaths before he was able to stand on shaking legs and stumble to James’ room, but he made it. 

Inside the room, James was crying his eyes out, rolling around the crib. Tony made soft shushing noises and reached to pick up the swaddled baby. It was weird holding James, he was a chunky baby and while he was only slightly larger than average, he was heavier than an average baby due to his advanced muscle growth from the serum. 

Tony huffed when James Carter was in his arms and took a few seconds to get his breath together before moving them both to the kitchen. The whole way, the baby did not stop crying despite Tony’s soothing motions and soft voice. 

Only when he put the bottle in his son’s mouth did the crying quiet and the squirming settled down. When the crying stopped, it seemed Tony’s energy seemed to evaporate. A headache started to form and his limbs were starting to shake with fatigue. He collapsed onto a chair in the kitchen with Carter in his arms and tried to hold back tears. He didn’t even have enough energy to feed his son, what a horrible father he was. 

When Carter finished the bottle, Tony still could not find the energy to walk all the way back to their rooms. Crying softly, he asked Friday to wake up Bruce. 

Bruce stumbled into the kitchen with rustled hair and his pajamas hanging loosely off his frame. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and rushed over when he noticed Tony crying. He didn’t even need to ask what the issue was when he noticed the way Tony was slumped in the chair and his body was shaking. Bruce grabbed the baby while asking Friday to get Rhodey. 

“What’s wrong, how do you feel?” Bruce said, using the hand not occupied by the baby to feel Tony’s forehead. 

“Tired, and nauseous, and my stomach hurts,” Tony admitted. 

“You should have had Steve get the baby, you are not strong enough to be up yet,” Bruce chided. 

Tony put his head in his hands. After several moments, Rhodey entered, looking just as jumbled as Bruce had. 

“Tones,” Rhodey said, approaching. 

“Can you bring him to bed? He’s not feeling well,” Bruce said, rocking the baby. 

“No, I don’t want to wake up Steve, he’s been working so hard,” Tony cried. “I’ll just stay on the couch until morning. 

“Tony,” Bruce frowned. 

“Please,” Tony whined. 

“I’ll come check on you in a few hours,” Bruce sighed, taking the baby to the nursery. 

Rhodey stood in front of Tony and leaned the smaller man’s head against his chest after seeing the silent tears start again. “Don’t cry, Tones. It’ll all get better.”

After a few minutes, Tony calmed down and allowed Rhodey to help him up and guide him to the living room. By the time he reached the couch his head was spinning and he was breathing heavily. 

Rhodey sat down on the couch and pulled Tony down after him. He guided his best friend on top of him and let him use his chest as a pillow. He ran soft fingers through Tony’s hair to help the man go back to sleep. 

“Don’t tell Steve okay? I want to show him I can be a good father, too.” Tony whispered into the darkness. 

Rhodey wanted to growl about how great Tony was, but he knew his friend wouldn’t believe him. “Okay,” Rhodey sighed, placing his hand over Tony’s eyes to encourage them to close. 

\-------------------------------

“Rhodey,” Tony muttered to his sleeping friend hours later. He was squirming on top of Rhodey’s frame. 

Rhodey groaned in his sleep, placing his hand over Tony’s mouth. “Shut up, go back to sleep,” Rhodey slurred, curling into the couch. 

Rhodey’s eyes shoot open when his hand and body are suddenly covered with vomit. 

Tony cries as he heaves over himself and his best friend. His vision goes dizzy as his body sways. He barely registers Rhodey sitting up to brace his falling body as he calls for Bruce. 

“I don’t feel good,” Tony cries in between heaves. His body jolts as his stomach rebels, his thin frame trembling. Rhodey is the only thing that keeps him from falling face first into a lap of throw up. 

Tony can’t see through his tears as Bruce kneels in front of him, wiping him up gently with a towel. 

“Shh, it’s okay Tones, it’s okay,” Bruce says, cleaning him up. 

“My head hurts,” Tony whispers, letting his head fall against Rhodey’s chest. 

Rhodey uses his *clean* hand to cover Tony’s eyes. 

“Let’s get you in the bath, Tones,” Bruce says, looking at the mess. 

“Let’s do that,” Rhodey agrees, moving to stand. 

When Tony is upright he immediately starts swaying. 

“Woah.” Both men rush to steady him. Tony’s head bobs as he tries to cling to reality. 

“Do you feel like you’re going to throw up again?” Rhodey asked, holding Tony’s arm. 

“No,” Tony whispers, trying to blink away the dizziness. “I just needa lay down.”

“Okay, bath then bed,” Rhodey says. 

“And I'll call Dr. Cho,” Bruce adds. 

“No, no doctors-” Tony slurs before his eyes fall shut and his knees collapse. 

“Fuck!” Rhodey shouts. 

“Just lay him down gently,” Bruce commands. 

The two work together to lay Tony down on the soft rug. Bruce checks his vitals while Rhodey runs to the kitchen to get a cool cloth. 

Rhodey lays the cloth on Tony’s forehead. “Why is he still sick? He had the baby already.”

Bruce sighs loudly. “The baby really messed up his body, Rhodes. He carried a super soldier. No one’s ever done that. We honestly weren’t sure he’d survive it,” Bruce whispers. 

“And fucking Steve. It’s like he doesn’t even care about Tony,” Rhodey glares. 

“It was...complicated during the pregnancy. Steve genuinely cares about Tony, but the baby sometimes...blinds him,” Bruce admitted. 

“I should’ve been here,” Rhodey sighs.

“You are now,” Bruce says, looking Rhodey in the eye. 

Rhodey nods softly just as a baby's cries are heard. 

“M’ b’by,” Tony groans, eyes fluttering. 

“Hey, Tones, how you feeling?” Rhodey asks, taking the cloth off Tony’s head and wiping the sweat from his neck. 

Tony groans. “Gotta get the baby.” Tony struggles to get up before being pushed down by Bruce and Rhodey. 

“Calm down, Tones. Steve can get the baby,” Rhodey says. 

Tony struggles for a few more seconds until his strength leaves him. 

“Deep breaths,” Bruce encourages. “Do you still feel light-headed?” 

Tony shakes his head, taking another round of breaths. His body hurt, but overall it just felt tired- like it was giving up. He didn’t realize the other men had been talking until he felt himself being lifted into Rhodey’s arms. 

Bruce went in a different direction and Rhodey carried him to the bathroom. He felt no embarrassment when his best friend placed him on the toilet and started removing his clothes, sans his underwear. It reminded him of the days when they shared a dorm at MIT, Rhodey frequently having to help clean him up after his drunken escapades. 

By the time Tony had finished his thoughts, Rhodey had placed him in the warm tube and was knelt in front of it, cleaning Tony with a washcloth. 

Rhodey was trying to draw his eyes away from his friend’s stomach which was painted in bruises. The bruises were slightly fainter than a normal bruise, but they were still large and painful looking. The group had explained how the super soldier baby would kick and punch painfully from the inside, but it was crazy seeing the actual evidence painted on Tony pale skin. He made sure to wash super gently when he got to that area. 

Halfway through the bath, Bruce walked in with baby James in his arms who was cooing softly. 

“Here’s your daddy,” Bruce smiled, handing the baby to Tony in the bath. 

“My baby,” Tony smiled, cradling James. 

Rhodey finished washing Tony as he laid back and cooed at James, being joined by Bruce’s silly faces. 

After being cleaned and putting on new clothes, Tony refused to go back to bed and instead decided to rest on the couch until Dr. Cho arrived. They placed a bucket next to him just in case and gave him some crackers to snack on. 

Tony waited for half an hour while holding James in his arms. Rhodey sat next to him, trying to make the baby laugh, and eventually holding him when Tony felt weak again. Bruce stayed in the kitchen making breakfast for the team. 

By the time Dr. Cho arrived, Tony was already feeling run-down again. 

“Have you been eating? Sleeping? Taking your medicine?” Dr. Cho said, checking his vitals. 

“No, no, and sometimes,” Bruce supplied from the kitchen. Tony rolled his eyes. 

Dr. Cho gave him a look. “I know, I know. I’ll do better,” Tony sighed. 

“Can you tell me any symptoms you’ve had since after the pregnancy?” Dr. Cho asked. 

“Headaches, stomach pain, I throw up sometimes-” Tony started. 

“A lotta times,” Rhodey muttered before Tony shoved him in the ribs. 

“And sometimes it's hard to breath,” Tony finished. 

“He’s also been lethargic, weak, and today he lost consciousness upon standing,” Bruce adds.

Dr. Cho thought for a bit before writing on her notepad. “Any blurry vision? Are you peeing less?”

“Sometimes, and I don’t think so,” Tony responded, tilting his head. 

“I don’t like the sound of this, but i’m going to run some tests before diagnosing you,” Dr. Cho says. She pauses to write something down before ripping it off and handing it to Tony. “Here’s a referral for a blood and urine test. Until I get the results, you need to take it easy and avoid any stress. I would put you on bed rest but I know that means nothing to you. If I hear you’ve been disobeying my and Dr. Banner’s orders I will make you stay in the hospital, alright?” 

Tony gulped, “Alright.”

“And get the tests as soon as possible,” Dr. Cho says while packing up. 

“I’ll take him tomorrow,” Bruce says. 

“Perfect,” Dr. Cho nods, heading out door. 

Tony sighs, leaning into the sofa. 

Just then, Steve walks in yawning. “What’d I miss?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, please review!


	9. Burnt Toast

“Watch your step, one more,” Steve guides Tony, helping the light-headed man down the steps. 

They had just come home from the blood tests Dr.Cho had ordered and Tony had fainted halfway through them taking blood. The nurses had given him orange juice and a chocolate cookie but Tony was still exhausted. 

“Lets sit on the couch,” Steve said as Tony swayed. He had one hand around Tony’s waist and the other extended with Tony’s grasp as additional support. His husband was super light and he offered to carry him, but Tony refused. 

Steve finally got Tony to the couch and the man collapsed onto it, closing his eyes and leaning his head back. 

Steve frowned at Tony’s distress. “I love you baby,” he said finally. 

Tony kept his eyes closed but smiled and leaned onto Steve’s chest. 

“Someone wants to say hi,” Bruce said, walking into the common room. 

Tony opened his eyes when he heard the soft cooing. “James!” He smiled. 

Bruce lowered the baby into Tony’s arms. “He certainly missed you guys, I had to change three diapers in the two hours you guys were gone,” Bruce said, turning up his nose. 

“Aw, James is a poopy boy,” Tony cooed. “Just like his daddy,” he smirked. 

“Hey!” Steve shouted. “At least he isn’t a coffee-loving maniac like his other daddy.”

Tony looked affronted. “Don’t hate on my relationship with my seventeen cups of decaf, at least he knows how to get me excited,” Tony smirked. 

“I think that’s my cue to go,” Bruce said, eyes wide. He practically ran down the hall. 

Steve waited for him to leave before moving closer to Tony. “I can get you excited, you just haven’t given me the chance lately,” he whispers to his husband.

“Hey, there are little ears listening!” Tony said. “And I might just take you up on that later,” he whispers back after a moment. 

Steve grins widely. “For now, want to watch a movie?” 

“Only if we go with my idea of a movie and not your idea- which always ends up being a four hour history documentary,” Tony rolls his eyes. “I don’t want to subject James to that.”

“Fine, but I don’t want to watch your idea of a movie either after last time we watched that movie with all the techno-babble and other world stuff,” Steve huffs.

“It was  _ The Matrix _ , Steve, and that was a classic,” Tony deadpans. 

“Let’s watch a Disney movie, I think James will like that,” Steve suggests. 

“I mean, he can barely comprehend that he has eyes and ears yet, but sure, let's put something on for him,” Tony says sarcastically. 

Steve shoved Tony lightly, laughing. “Hey, we are dads now, we have to think of James.”

There is a beat of silence. Tony looks up at Steve. “I know I'm not the best at showing it, but I'm glad to be a dad with you,” Tony says softly. 

Steve stares at Tony for a while. “I haven’t been the best at showing it either, but I am glad to have you at my side.”

They nuzzle each other's noses before being distracted by a loud coo from James. The parents laugh and blow kisses onto James’ cheeks. They end up putting on Cinderella. Tony hands the baby off to Steve and rests his eyes, still tired from the testing earlier. 

Halfway through the movie, Tony sat up, sniffing the air. 

“What’s wrong?” Steve asked, half focus on the almost-sleeping baby in his arms. 

“Do you smell something burning?” Tony asked, confused. 

“Like fire?” Steve asks, alarmed. 

Tony stands up and walks towards the kitchen. “No, like toast. Like burnt toast.”

Steve frowns, sniffing. “No, I don’t smell burnt toast. I think we ran out of bread days ago, maybe downstairs-”

Steve is interrupted by a large thud and he turns to see his husband seizing on the floor. He is able to shout out, “Bruce!” just before all his breath leaves him. 

Tony’s eyes are closed but he grunts as his limbs contract and shake. He kicks out and flails, completely out of control. 

Steve stands watching with the baby in his hands, completely panicked. His body freezes up and he is forced to watch as Bruce runs in and dives over to his seizing husband. 

“It’s okay Tony, you’re okay,” Bruce says, putting a throw pillow under Tony’s head. He moves all the sharp objects around them out of the way and completely ignores Steve. 

Clint, Rhodey, Natasha, and Thor, who had returned from Asgard this morning, all run in not long after. They freeze in the hall and take in the scene. Before any of them can react, Steve shoves the baby into Thor’s arms and pushes past them, running into a closet and slamming the door. 

Thor stares down at the crying baby in his arms and moves to the couch to try to calm James down. Clint and Rhodey run over to Bruce to help with Tony while Natasha follows Steve. 

Natasha tries to open the closet but learns it's locked. She knocks softly asking Steve for access but receives no answer. She sits on the ground and puts her ear closer to the door to listen in. She is able to make out Steve’s hitching breaths. “Steve, take deep breaths. In and out. I know you remember,” she says. 

Behind the door, Steve was completely panicking, something he hadn’t remembered doing since he was a young sickly boy. The familiar feeling of not being able to draw air was pushing him further into the attack, feeling helpless against his body’s fight. 

“Hold for five, release for five, Steven,” Natasha encouraged. 

Things were starting to get foggy but he took her advice and slowly could feel air rush into his lungs. He distractedly unlocked the door with her prompting but curled back into the depths of the closet after. 

Natasha walked in slowly, as if approaching a spooked animal, and closed the door behind her. It kind of hard to see but she used the light from under the doorway to guide her nearer to Steve. She sat down with her legs crossed in front of him and placed a hand on his knee. At her touch, he relaxed slightly and looked up through tearful eyes at her. 

“What’s happening Stevie?” Natasha said softly.

Steve took a few more deep breaths before looking down at his knees. “I can’t lose him, Tasha, I can’t. Every time I feel like things will be okay, they aren’t and I don’t want to lose them.”

Natasha sighed. “Things will be okay, Steve. Tony will be fine, he’s just trying to recover.”

“No, you don’t understand,” Steve cried. “I had a little sister.”

Natasha pauses. “What?”

“I had a little sister. My mom had gotten pregnant again when I was about 10. She carried my sister for about two months before she started getting sick. She would be in the bed all day, sick and dying. She could barely breathe on her own. But then my parents decided to terminate the pregnancy because they didn’t think either one would survive. They saved my mother, but I was furious. I hated my mother for killing my sister and I hated my sister for trying to kill my mother. 

I was so scared when Tony got sick, because I didn’t want him to die, but I didn’t want James to die either. I think about my sister every day because I wondered what it’d be like if she survived. When Tony started getting sick I didn’t want to be in the position where I would have to choose between them or choose none of them. I started hating James for making Tony sick, but I hated Tony for risking the life of my son. Even now, I can’t live with myself for even thinking that way.”

Natasha was quiet for a while. “I can understand why you feel that way, Steve,” she said carefully. “But you’ve been neglecting Tony. He is going through a lot too. Imagine if your mother didn’t have you or your father to help her through it.”

“I know, Nat. I know. Every time I’m around him, I just get images of him dying and I can’t stand it. I don’t know what to do.”

Natasha stares at the man breaking down in front of her. Steve’s hands were shaking and his face was bright red. She could tell he was trying to calm down but he was struggling. She sighed. “Stevie, listen to me. Just as you need Tony, Tony needs you. You pushing yourself away from him does not help anyone. It just makes the situation worse. You guys need to lean on each other. If you keep distancing yourself then eventually, you guys are going to break up- then you will really lose them.”

“I can’t, I can’t, I can’t. I love them so much. You gotta believe me Tasha,” Steve pleads. 

“I know you do, Steve, but I'm not the one you need to convince. You have two people who depend on you now. Tony is suffering right outside that door, he needs you,” Natasha says, wiping his tears. 

Steve nods, jumping up and walking out the door. Seeing Tony crumpled on the ground makes him freeze, but he snaps himself out of it. 

Tony was whimpering softly. The seizure looked to be mainly over but every few seconds his legs would kick out randomly. 

Steve kneeled down next to Bruce and laid a hand on Tony’s cheek shushing him gently. 

“S’evie,” Tony whimpered as his legs clenched again.

“It’s okay, i’m here,” Steve said softly. He moved so that Tony’s head was in his lap. 

Natasha sat next to him, massaging Tony’s tense fingers. They were all quiet, listening to Tony’s soft whimpers and James’ periodic coos from the living room. 

Suddenly, Tony started seizing again. 

They all moved back and watched as Tony’s body betrayed him. His back arched and his limbs kicked violently. Tony’s grunts were loud and they had to wonder if he was in pain. 

Steve didn’t even realize he was crying as he rubbed Tony’s hair through his husband’s seizing. 

About a minute later, Tony stopped moving and this time he was unconscious. 

“Tony?” Bruce called, rubbing the man’s cheek.

Tony was still. 

“Is he okay?” Steve chokes out. 

“He is going to be,” Bruce says, pulling out his phone. “Stay with him for a minute.”

Bruce walks away, dialing someone. The team scoot closer to Tony, watching the man sleep. His eyes were scrunched and his mouth was slightly parted. Every few seconds his wrist would twitch but the man didn’t show signs of waking. 

After minutes of silence, Bruce walked back in. “Dr. Cho thinks she knows what the problem is, she wants us to bring him in now.”

Steve nods. “Can I move him?” He motions to Tony. 

Bruce nods and walks over to help. Steve picks his husband up bridal style as Bruce does another check of his breathing. 

“Thor, Natasha, can you watch baby James?” Bruce asks as he grabs his things. 

“I would be honored to watch son of Stark and Rogers,” Thor smiles. Natasha rolls her eyes at the God but nods as well. 

“I’ll text you what’s happening,” Clint says to pair by the couch as he walks out the door. 

“You better,” Natasha calls. 

Steve ignores all of them and focuses on moving his husband as gently as possible to the car. He had forgotten how light Tony had gotten and was concerned for his weight. In addition, he didn’t realize until he was looking down at his husband in the sun how pale he had gotten. He sighed, strapping a sleeping Tony in the car and climbed in the front next to Bruce. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! 
> 
> I believe there's only going to be one or two chapters left wrapping this story up. If you have any ideas or want to add something to the storyline, just let me know, but I think this story is coming to an end. 
> 
> Please review!


	10. Brain Scans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This the last chapter before the epilogue!

Tony is still asleep when they meet Dr. Cho at the hospital. She orders the nurses to take Tony into a room and switch his clothes for a gown while she takes the others into her office. 

Steve, Clint, and Bruce gather around her large office space as she pulls out her notes and documents. 

“I believe Tony has eclampsia, which is a complication of preeclampsia,” she starts. 

Everyone but Bruce stares at her confused. “What does that mean?” Clint asks. 

“Preeclampsia is a condition that can happen during pregnancy due to high blood pressure and it eventually damages other organ systems. Eclampsia is exactly the same except these patients are known to have seizures. The condition usually goes away after the labor but it has been known to continue afterward,” Dr. Cho says. 

“Is it treatable?” Steve asks. 

“Fortunately yes, it is. I can prescribe medicine to lower Tony’s blood pressure and some anticonvulsants, he should be fine. I want to conduct a few more tests to confirm the diagnosis, but that’s not the only reason I brought you here.” The group stare at her nervously. 

“I was looking at James’ brain scans and it looked a bit abnormal-”

“Abnormal? Is something wrong with him? Is he sick too?” Steve jumped up. 

Dr. Cho stares at him through narrow eyes until he sits back down. “Nothing looks extremely wrong, but I would like to do an MRI and some physical tests on James, if that is alright with you?”

Steve nods. “I’ll have Natasha and Thor bring him now,” he says, stepping into the hall to call them. 

Dr. Cho and Bruce share a look. 

__________________

Tony wakes up to what has become his least-favorite view ever: the white walls of a hospital room, the beeping monitors, and the liquid bag of an IV. He can feel the scratchy gown on his person without looking and and he fights himself to not rip the IV out. 

“Hey sleeping beauty, long time no see.” Steve leans over the bed so he is in Tony’s line of vision. 

“I am only going to listen to the ‘beauty’ part of that sentence,” Tony mumbles, rubbing sleep out of his eye. “Where, how, why?”

“Hospital, I drove you here with Bruce, and because you had multiple seizures,” Steve answers. 

“When, where, James?”

“We got here about two hours ago, Bruce is talking with Dr. Cho, Clint brought Thor and Natasha to the food court so you can get some sleep, and James is undergoing some tests.”

“Why, when, what?”

“Dr. Cho wants to check out James’ brain, Dr. Cho said she just has to give you pills but I'm sure we can leave after that, and she said you have something called eclampsia because of high blood pressure and James’ first brain scans look abnormal,” Steve answers. 

Tony freezes from where he was shifting himself on the bed. “Abnormal?” he echos. 

“Yes, she’ll probably talk to us when she finishes. They started half an hour ago so they should be done soon,” Steve supplies. “How do you feel?”

“Tired, even though I know I probably slept for hours,” Tony groans, throwing his arm over his eyes. 

“Do you have a headache?” Steve asks knowingly. 

Tony nods. Steve sighs and puts gentle hands on Tony’s temples. He massages them carefully and places kisses along Tony’s forehead. He pulls Tony’s arm away so that they connect eyes. “James will be okay,” Steve says. Tony nods, even though he doesn’t know if Steve is trying to convince Tony or himself. 

Luckily, Tony doesn’t have to ponder it more because Dr. Cho knocks and walks into the room with Bruce. “Hello, Tony. Glad to see you awake.”

“Cut to the chase please, Doc,” Tony says desperately. “Is James okay?”

Dr. Cho sighs and fiddles with her papers. “Before I answer that, I have a few questions for you that might help me diagnose him.”

The pair nod. “I know James is still pretty young so please answer these to the best of your ability. Has James ever made eye contact with you?”

Tony and James look at each other, confused. “Well no, but he’s still a newborn. He doesn’t even know what an  _ eye _ is yet,” Tony laughs anxiously. Steve nods in agreeance and Dr. Cho writes it down. 

“Does he ever smile when he sees you smiling?” Dr. Cho asks. 

“Not exactly,” Steve tilts his head. There were plenty of times he smiles at James but the baby never smiles  _ back _ . 

“Are there any habits you noticed? Any patterns in his behavior?” Dr. Cho asks. 

“Okay, just what is going on here?” Tony shouts frustrated. “Nothing is wrong with my son! I don’t know what kind of mental thing you are trying to find but James-”

“Tony,” Dr. Cho interrupts softly. “James is showing early signs of autism.”

Tony freezes, unmoving. “Autism?” 

Dr. Cho nods softly. 

“Did I do-” Tony’s voice cracks. “Did I break him?” 

Dr. Cho rushes towards Tony and holds his hands. “No, no, no. You did nothing wrong, Tony. And James is not _ broken _ . Autism does not mean a person is  _ broken _ . It just means he will have challenges.”

Steve steps towards them. “I am so lost here, what is that?”

Dr. Cho sighs in realization. Autism was not as well known in the 40s as it is now. “Autism is a disorder in which a person may have challenges with social skills, communication, and behaviors. There's a large spectrum and not every autistic person is the same.”

“Wait, so he can’t communicate?” Steve asks, confused. 

“Not necessarily, as I said, every Autistic person is different. I can provide you with many books and pamphlets to help you learn more about it,” Dr. Cho offers. 

“I would appreciate that, thank you,” Steve nods. 

“Are you sure, Helen?” Tony asks. His brain was running a mile a minute. “My parents thought I had autism when I was younger and I didn’t.”

Dr. Cho wants to comment on that but she keeps it to herself. “The same thing can happen with James. It’s still early, he’s still young. I am just going off of the brain scans and both of our observations. I rather tell you now so that you can prepare just in case he does,” Dr. Cho says. 

“We appreciate that,” Steve says. 

“Can we go now?” Tony interrupts, still in shock. 

“Yes, let me just get you guys your prescription and your baby, then you can be on your way,” Dr. Cho says, standing, 

Tony nods, swinging his legs off the bed so that he can change.

He just wants to leave, go home, and snuggle with his baby. Nothing was wrong with him. He will get older and be just like all the other kids- Dr. Cho will be wrong. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> Sorry this is so short, but this story is coming to and end :( 
> 
> Next chapter will be an epilogue, but let me know if you want to read more into their life with a sick Tony and autistic/supersoldier son! Maybe another story or a one-shot?


	11. Any Other Way

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Epilogue

**Four Years Later**

It turns out that Carter was just like the other kids, at least to Tony. 

He still liked to play with toys, by himself of course, liked to beg for candy all day, and didn’t want to take a nap during nap time. Tony found many days where he and Carter would sit building blocks for hours, and he loved every second of it. 

Steve had tried to teach James games like football and soccer, but James hated it. Despite this, Steve still forced the small boy to the park every weekend to play with an assortment of balls and games, much to the boy’s displeasure. 

It wasn’t until Tony finally let the boy into his lab did they understand what was going on.

Upon entering the lab, Carter’s eyes lit up in awe. He ran around frantically trying to touch every robot, every piece of metal, and every tool. He exploded with hundreds of questions for Tony, asking about things from the matrix of the Iron Man suit to how a car engine works. 

It turns out their son had brains, not brawns. 

Steve naturally was very upset upon learning this. He wanted his son to be a mini Captain America. Carter still had to exercise because of the extra energy and strength the serum gave him, but he never found joy in it like Steve did. 

After many MANY arguments over the subject, Steve grew noticeably emotional- similar to his attitude during the pregnancy. He started to ignore Carter and hate Tony. This is not who his son was supposed to be, and he blamed Tony. Not for his son’s dislike of physical activity, but for his son’s Asperger’s. 

He grew angry doing everything he could to try to make his son more like him, more _normal_. And it wasn’t until an intervention led by Tony and Natasha he realized how dark his thoughts were. 

They got him a therapist. And though he hated the idea at first, after several sessions he could feel the positive change in his body and mind. He learned to accept James for who he was, and finally he reached a point where he wasn’t just _settling_ for James, he _loved_ James and all his imperfections. 

In finally reaching peace with himself, he stopped pressuring James to things he himself wanted to do. He decided to learn James' other interests. And while many of those interests included spending hours lining up his crayons by color order or rearranging his toy box five times, he also learned the boy loved art just like he did.

He bought them both easels and they began to spend an hour each day learning how to paint and draw. While both of their drawings were nowhere near Da Vinci level, Steve enjoyed the time he spent with James. 

Tony was in a better mindstate too when he noticed Steve on better terms with Carter. He was often tired and didn’t have much energy to play and take care of their son, so he was grateful when he noticed Steve stepping up. 

Unlike Steve, Tony had no problems with Carter’s autism, which is probably because he had it too. 

He was diagnosed when he was younger and Howard tried everything he could to beat it out of him. And while Tony was forced early on to imitate a neurotypical, years later his head is still filled with check-lists of ‘make eye contact when someone is talking to you’, ‘read body language’, and ‘a frown could mean that person is angry’. It’s why he and Pepper never worked. 

While he could act like a borderline neurotypical, Pepper was an over-emotional person whose feelings were not always clear. His Asperger’s sometimes prevented him from understanding what was wrong and acting accordingly and she couldn’t handle it. 

But that’s okay, because now he has Steve. 

He has Steve who knows he wants to be held even if he doesn’t always communicate it. He has Steve who doesn’t even mind that his brain forces him to make Iron Man suits repetitively as a way to cope. He has Steve who learns that he doesn’t like to be handed things and takes it in stride. 

And because he knows Steve will always be there for him, he has complete faith that Steve will get the hang of having a son like Carter. 

Because even though their family may not be perfect, Tony wouldn’t have it any other way. 

**The End.**

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who read and reviewed,  
> And to you,  
> If you have stuck with this story,  
> until the very end.


End file.
